Sweetie Pie
by TheClownPrincessOfCrime
Summary: All's well after a young girl gets mixed up with Joker's gang, until Harley must seek help from her sworn enemies after finding out the Scarecrow is much more dangerous than he seems.
1. Watch Your Step

**I don't own Batman or anything else, except my OC.**

**I love TDK Joker so much, and came across this series just out of boredom. I knew of it as a kid, but I was girly-girl and always changed the station so I could never fully appreciate it. :-S**

**I instantly fell in love with Harley in the series. I think she's just about the most adorable animated character ever, and I wanted to explore a kinder side of her, because I do think it's in there...somewhere.**

**I appreciate every reader I have, but I appreciate reviews even more! I love having feedback, especially detailed ones! ;) Oh, and if there are any of you on deviantART who would like to make a sketch of my OC, that'd be pretty cool, too, because Lord knows I write a heck of a lot better than I draw. ;)**

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><p>Harley Quinn drove recklessly down the road, weaving in and out of traffic with ease. The Joker sat in the backseat, his feet propped up as if he was the passenger during a quiet, Sunday drive down the coast. Harley had learned the hard way how to drive without hitting other people or objects, given the amount of time she'd been with the Joker. This particular day was a scenario Harley was all too familiar with - after all, the Joker said Harley always drove him...crazy, that is. Not that she meant to, exactly. Most of the time she couldn't help how insanely furious she made him, but she was quite skilled with it, as everyone knew. As they sped down the winding road, she glanced into the rearview mirror just to make sure their other henchmen were still following close behind them. Harley knew in case their men lost track of them, her puddin' would have found some way to blame it on her, and most likely punish her with a fist to the face. So, Harley was relieved to see their tattered old brown car behind them, although not nearly driving as careless as she was. In a meeting as big as the one they were about to have, they could use the little extra back-up they could get, just in case. You could never tell what could happen with the Gotham Rogues.<p>

Harley's mind wandered (as it was prone to do) even as she controlled their vehicle. She wondered what her darling Ivy was up to. The last Harley had heard, Ivy had been recently caught by the police and had taken up residence in Arkham Asylum...again. Harley knew deep down it was only a matter of time before she too was caught and placed there once more. This was something she wasn't at all looking forward to. Sure, she'd been there more times than she could count and it was almost, in a way, like a twisted second home, (not to mention she had the Asylum to thank for introducing her to the love of her life,) but she intended to stay a free woman for as long as she could. _Still,_ she thought, sadly, _it gets so lonely without another girl around here._ At least with Ivy out and about, it calmed Harley, somewhat, to know there was always a girl nearby she could talk to about anything. There was no doubt she loved the Joker and her two precious animal babies, Bud and Lou, but it just was wasn't the same to be surrounded by men all the time. Often times, Harley even wanted to suggest having a tryout for an expansion of their team, namely a woman (although not blonde, and _certainly_ one who wasn't as attractive as Harley... after all, even she had her limits) but, Harley knew full well the Joker was already fed up with her alone, so he'd never let another female into the gang - no way, no how.

"Harley girl, for the love of Pete, will you _watch_ where you're going?" Joker's shrill voice shrieked in her ear, snapping her out of her daydream. "Are you trying to _kill_ somebody, or what?"

Harley giggled in spite of herself. "Not _yet,_ Mister J!"

Joker rolled his eyes and sighed, hitting her on the back of her head with a clipboard. "There's only room for one comedian here, Harl. And it sure isn't _you._ Now, shut your trap and drive more carefully before I put a bullet in your head."

Harley frowned but did as she was told, slowing her driving down to what was considered normal. Even if she knew...or _hoped_ she knew the Joker wouldn't _actually_ shoot her, she certainly didn't want to take any chances.

As they drove up to the docks and parked their cars, Harley gulped, nervously looking around at their surroundings. The darkness and smelly sea-air just made the scene all the more eerie. To take her mind off her slight nervousness, Harley tried for the umpteenth time to close the trunk of their ratty old car, which had the knack for opening at will and staying that way. When she didn't succeed in closing it, she angrily kicked the bumper with her foot out of frustration. The impact was much more than Harley expected, and she yelped in pain as her foot throbbed from the force of her kick. The Joker and his henchmen just shook their heads in annoyance. Even the two henchmen, (who weren't exactly the brightest bulbs in the tanning beds) were embarrassed of Harley's behavior sometimes.

"Ew, what a horribly _dreadful_ place this is," Harley mumbled after a moment, after managing to ease her agonizing foot pain. "Are you _sure_ we're in the right place, Puddin? Who in their right mind would wanna come _here_, anyway? It's so dark, dank, and dreary."

Joker shoved Harley out of the way as he made his way towards the old, rundown building. "We're in the right place, you moron. Now, shut up and let me talk business. If you so much as open your mouth an_ inch_ without permission, I'll throw you into the bay. You got that?"

Harley clamped her mouth shut, "zipped" it closed, and nodded.

The henchmen opened the doors, and Joker and Harley walked inside the old, dusty building. Scarecrow sat at a table, his dark eyes even darker of impatience after having to wait longer than he had originally intended to. Harley squealed when she saw her "friend," and attempted to greet him, but with one stern look from Joker, she clamped her mouth shut, again.

"It's lovely to see you again, old friend," said Joker, sitting down at the table and glancing over the pile of blue papers which were strewn across it. "It's been way too long."

"You know, Joker," said the masked fiend sternly, his voice sharp with annoyance. "I do expect my business partners to arrive at our agreed time." His coal black eyes narrowed. "Otherwise, what's the point of arranging a specific time...if both parties are not willing to follow through?"

The Joker sighed, heavily. He wanted to talk business, not about his tardiness. "Come now, come now. I'm here, aren't I? We're alone, not a soul in Gotham knows what we're up to. Let's just get on with it!"

Unbeknownst to them, a Gothamite _was_ watching, but probably not one they would have been expecting. The petite, feisty, just barely eleven-year-old girl crouched behind a couple of boxes and peeked inside the warehouse through a foggy window. She was almost too cute for her own good, with her huge ocean-blue eyes and sprinkling of freckles across her rosey cheeks and button nose. Her blonde hair, which had been pulled into two tiny half-pigtails on the top of her head, anime-style, blew in the wind as she took in a deep breath, taking in the entire scene. She shivered a little, as her multi-colored striped tights, long-sleeved light pink dress and funky vest covered in button badges did nothing to shield her from the damp and chilly sea air around her.

The girl had no idea who those people were, and she could barely see them through the cloudy windows, but she knew they had to be up to no good. She had first noticed some commotion as she had been walking down the street, and her gut instinct had insisted she bring the authorities into it. She had called to tell the police about a "super freaky" disturbance, and then decided to stake out the place until they arrived. Her heart beat wildly in her chest as she glanced around, nervously. So far, luck had been on her side and no one had spotted her, but she didn't want to take any huge risks that might end badly for her. One thing she knew for sure, the docks gave her the creeps, and she knew it was completely crazy of her to be there in the first place. She knew she should leave and let the police handle the situation. She _knew_ all of that, but in the end, curiosity got the better of her, and she dashed across to the other side of the building, just hoping for a chance to see a little more and get a little closer to the action.

She managed to climb on top of the warehouse and maneuver her way across the roof with ease. She moved with such flexibility, almost like a gymnast. Almost like Harley moved. Unfortunately for the girl, she didn't have much luck up on the roof, either. She almost groaned out loud after she saw the state of the roof window. It was in just as bad a shape as the ones on the ground level where she had started from. She sighed and shook her head, looking out across the streets for signs of police sirens.

"Boy, I sure hope the cops get here soon. I bet if I told them a _donut shop_ was being robbed, they'd already be here," she mumbled to herself, then brought her attention back to the scene under her. "Aw, this stinks! I wish I could see what's going on down there. I bet it's something juicy...and all I can see from up here are the tops of their heads!"

The girl pressed her face to the window, hoping for a better peek. Harley, who had been easily distracted from the all-work-no-play business talk her puddin' was engaged in, caught something out of the corner of her eye. On the roof. The girl gasped in horror when she noticed she'd been discovered, and jerked her head back as quickly as she could. She felt all the color drain from her face and she thought her heart would jump out of her chest.

"Hey, what's the big idea?" Harley loudly cried out, startling everyone in the room with her sudden outburst.

"Harley, will you shut _up_?" cried one of the henchmen, Rock. He wasn't in the mood to have the Joker yelling at any one of them, tonight. His nerves were already shot as it was.

"_No_!" Harley cried, pointing to the roof. "There's a little _creep_ up there on the roof! I saw someone with my own two eyes!"

The Joker leapt from the table, his face boiling mad. "I'll give you to the count of _one_ to shut your annoying trout mouth before I shut it for you, you stupid, useless little twit!"

The girl's heart raced as she carefully but quickly began to climb off the roof. She knew someone had seen her and she had to get out of there, fast. She knew if she was caught, she might not see the light of day again. As she climbed down, she somehow lost her footing, and with a shriek, slid down the side of the building and smack into the open truck of Harley and Joker's car. Before she had time to react, she heard the sounds of running feet as they came nearer. The girl carefull pulled the lid of the trunk down to help hide herself as best she could.

"Hey, I _know_ I heard something out here," cried Bugs, one of the Joker's other henchmen. "It sounded like a scream or something."

"_Now_ do you clowns believe me when I said I saw something?" Harley cried, running towards the cars. "I _knew_ it!"

The girl gasped quietly, thanking her lucky stars she was hidden within the shadows and no one could see her, even if they stood next to her. Her only concern was getting out of the trunk before they did. She had managed to pull the trunk of the car down just enough to where she could still see what was going on around her, but no one noticed a difference, seeing as they already knew the trunk was broken.

"Come out, come out, wherever you are!" Harley sang out, waving the pistol she held in her hand. "We're not gonna hurt ya...we're just gonna feed little teeny-weeny pieces of you to the fishies!" Not a moment after Harley spoke, they heard police sirens approaching in the distance. They all gasped in shock. They'd been found out. "_Rats_!" Harley mumbled. "Somebody snitched on us!" Harley tossed the pistol into the backseat of their car with a huff, and cupped her hands over her mouth. "Hey Mister J, hurry it up, will ya? We gotta go, _now_! The cops are coming!"

Rock and Bugs made a beeline for their car, followed by an angry-faced Joker, livid that his business party was crashed before having actually discussed anything. The girl knew she had no chance of escaping once the Joker angrily slammed the trunk door shut as he walked past. The girl gulped from inside the dark trunk, completely petrified. The only place she was going was with these dangerous criminals, and she had no idea what was in store for her once they found her.


	2. The Accidental Stowaway

The Joker and his troupe had managed to escape a capture by police by just a hair, but Harley was still curious as to how they'd been found out. It was a complete mystery to her.

"Hey Mister J," she asked, while still driving back to their hideout in daze. "Who do ya think told the police we was there, huh? I mean, it wasn't _me_, I promise. I kept my mouth shut just like ya told me!"

Harley parked the car and seemed oblivious to the silent ride she'd just been on. The Joker had been too angry to speak a word, and upon their safe arrival, Harley continued, oblivious to Rock and Bugs waving their arms in protest. They could see how upset their boss was, and they were trying to make Harley shut up before she went too far.

"I mean, I _thought_ the reason you had the idea to meet there in the first place was 'cause nobody woulda found us out, right?" Harley said, as the Joker fumed so much, Rock and Bugs were surprised steam wasn't pouring from his ears. "And what happens? Somebody called the cops and almost got us thrown back into Arkham! Can you _believe_ that? I mean-"

All of the Joker's anger exploded out of him just then, and he angrily grabbed Harley by her two dangling tassels, jerking her close to him. "I've had just about enough of you! Can you not, for five minutes, just keep _quiet_?"

"Well, gee Mister J, I suppose I _could...I_ just never tried," Harley replied, smiling a cute smile. She hoped her cuteness would ease some of his anger. It didn't.

The Joker growled and angrily threw her against the trunk of the car as hard as he could. Anything to make her shut up. He angrily gritted his teeth. "Oh, when I find out who alerted the police tonight and ruined my plans, I'll...well, well well, isn't _this_ interesting?"

Harley gasped as she lay sprawled on the chilly concrete. She didn't notice the impact of her body against the car had caused the trunk to snap open, but she did notice her puddin' had stopped talking mid-sentence, which was something unusual for him when he was on a rant. As she clumsily staggered to her feet, she soon found out the cause of his sudden silence.

There, curled up in a pathetic little ball, was their accidental stowaway. Her eyes were huge with fright and had instantly filled with tears the moment she saw the Joker standing over her. He grabbed the girl by her vest and yanked her out with one good jerk.

"What on earth is _this_ doing here?" asked the Joker, a huge freakish grin on his face. "I don't remember shopping for a kid while we were out tonight."

The little girl was at a loss for words as she stared up at the menacing face of the Joker. He gripped her vest tighter and growled at her. "What's the matter, cat got your tongue, girly? I've got no patience tonight after my plans were ruined by the police, so you had better tell me what the_ heck_ you're doing in the trunk of my car before I really lose my cool!"

The girl was so frightened she could barely speak, and she felt all the breath leave her trembling body. "I-I'm sorry, I'm sorry! P-please don't hurt me!" She sputtered, nervously gulping."I-I didn't mean to get you into trouble, honest! I was... I was out walking and I saw some people out by the docks, so I...I called the cops and then I fell i-into your car. B-but I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!"

Even Rock, Harley, and Bugs flinched when they heard the confession from the tiny girl. They saw the Joker's rage building, and he tightened his grip even more. As she saw the Joker's rage building, Harley felt some sort of sudden protective instinct inside of her. She wondered if it was the same instinct Ivy always said she felt with Harley - like trying to protect a kid-sister from danger. Harley had this feeling once before, when she accidentally kidnapped Veronica Vreeland and had taken her for a joyride around town. Harley had no intentions of ever hurting Veronica, and in the end, she was concerned for Veronica's well-being, much like the feeling she was getting now as she watched the terrified look on the poor girl's face.

The Joker's face would have been beet red has it not been already bleached white. He could barely see straight on account of his incredible anger. _"What?_ So, it was _you_ who broke up my meeting? _You're_ the one who foiled my plans? Do you have _any_ idea what you've done, you little brat?" He gripped onto the girl so tightly, his knuckles began to throb.

Out of instinct or fear, she wasn't sure which, the girl suddenly kicked her foot out, landing square in the Joker's stomach, causing him to drop her onto the ground with a thud in his surprise. She stood up, her eyes still wide with fear as the Joker's face became angrier and angrier.

"No, please don't hurt me! _Please!"_ The girl pleaded, backing up slowly, tears streaming down her pink cheeks. "I'm sorry! I'm so sorry! I...I didn't mean it!"

"You didn't_ mean_ it?" cried the Joker, his fists bawled in the air. _"You_ called the cops! You _ruined_ my plans, and now, you're gonna _pay_ for it with your _life!"_

The girl was sobbing quite loudly now, which only made the Joker more angry. He detested weak beings almost as much as he detested Batman. Joker advanced towards her, his fists clenched almost as tightly as his teeth were. As he threatened to kill her as painfully as possible with his bare hands, Harley suddenly jumped between the two like a spunky red and black a force field. She held her hand against the Joker's chest, determination in her icy blue eyes.

"Hey hey, cool your jets, Mister J,'' Harley said, firmly, as the girl dashed and hid behind her, shaking with fear. "I mean, look at the thing. She's just a baby. She probably didn't know she was crossing paths with the likes of us, did ya?" Harley turned her head as she addressed the girl.

The girl shook her head quickly, still gasping and crying involuntarily out of fear as she clutched Harley's waist. The Joker was stunned beyond words upon having his henchgirl defy him so.

"What's your name, darling?" Harley asked, smiling and gently wiping the tears from the girl's face with her red gloved hand.

The girl backed up a step then, realizing that Harley could have just as well been as dangerous as the Joker. Even if she did seem less frightening, the girl wasn't letting her guard down just yet. "M-my name's Sophie. Sophie Pieska, Miss...Miss Crazy Clown Lady ."

"Miss Crazy Clown Lady!" whooped Harley, with a loud, high-pitched giggle. "Oh, I _love_ it! I gotta write that one down! Crazy Clown Lady, oh, what a hoot!"

"Mmm, Pie-ska. Just like pie. I _love_ pie," said Rock, licking his lips and nudging Bugs with a sly wink.

"The name's Harleen Quinzel," said Harley, sticking her hand out for an introduction. The girl didn't return the gesture. "Call me Harley. Everyone does," Harley added, ignoring the snuff with a giggle. "I think it flows better, don't you?"

The Joker came to life again at that moment, startling the little girl so much that she fell over backwards in a gasp. "This is no time to play Mommy, Pooh!" The Joker angrily pointed his finger at the wide-eyed girl sprawled on the floor. "That little _brat_ ruined my operation and she's not gonna get away with it!"

Harley sighed and patted his shoulder like a teacher scolding a young student. "Look, Puddin'. B-Man never showed up and we got away with no harm done. We still got time to finish the operation, you just gotta have a teeny bit more security the next time, and we won't get found out," said Harley, gently. "Now, you just run along and leave us girls alone for a while...and I promise I'll make it worth your while a little later, if ya know what I mean." Harley winked at the Joker and squeezed his shoulder, playfully.

Rock and Bugs chuckled a little as they watched the Joker's face change from anger to mischievous. He grinned a yellow-toothed grin and did as he was told. Harley knew the best way to get Joker to shut up was to offer what only she could give him, and it worked every time. The Joker may have despise Harley on some days, but he was, after all, still just a man.

Harley noticed Bugs and Rock eyeing Sophie and nudging each other, and it angered her. "You boys get outta here, too!" Harley cried, loudly. "It's girls only. Get out, _get out_!"

Harley angrily somersaulted at them, kicking them both square in the face. Sophie gaped as she saw how gracefully Harley moved. Still, as her heart raced in her chest, she wondered what kind of trouble she'd be in once she was left alone with her. As Harley cartwheeled back to her, Sophie gasped loudly in fear and stood up. She stepped back, trying to avoid Harley at all costs. Her guard was up, now, and she wasn't sure if she'd live to see the light of day upon being taken to this crazed house of madness. She was afraid of the Joker, she was afraid of the henchmen, and she was afraid of Harley Quinn.

"Hey, what's the big idea?" Harley asked, her hands on her hips. She had meant the question to sound gentle, but Sophie didn't take it as such, and she unwillingly began to sob again, falling to her knees out of both fear and exhaustion. Sophie had no idea whether or not Harley was as dangerous as she thought, but she felt sick in her stomach and weak in the knees because of it.

Harley's face dropped, and she gasped, kneeling down also. Harley gently put both her hands on Sophie's shoulders. "Oh, sugar! Don't worry, ain't nobody gonna hurt ya, now. Especially me! I _promise!_ Cross my heart!"

Sophie's loud sobbing slowly turned into a few tears, and she looked up, slowly. She did have to admit that from the look of her, Harley didn't seem so bad, for a criminal. And Sophie hadn't forgotten that Harley did stop the Joker from killing her, so she at least had a little credibility as a nice girl, so she was able to relax. But only just a little.

Harley smiled and cupped Sophie's face in her hands, gently. "Well, geez. Aren't _you_ just the cutest little thing anyone's ever seen? You'd definitely make a _killin'_ with the right outfit in the right place. You look like a little baby doll that everybody should just cuddle and cuddle all the time!"

Sophie gasped as Harley jerked her into tight hug, still holding onto her face. She realized Harley probably wasn't going to hurt her, (as she'd previously imagined,) figuring if she was indeed a goner at the hands of the crazy clown lady, the last thing her killer would do is squish her cheeks together and hug her Harley was doing.

Sophie was finally able to find her voice after a moment. "B-but you said if you caught me, you'd feed pieces of me to fish!" Sophie said, through a smushed face. She hiccupped loudly and wiped her eyes again. "I-I heard you say that when I was in the trunk!"

Harley waved her hands in the air, dismissing the remark like it was nothing. "Oh, that's just tough talkin', kiddo. That would take way too long. I mean, if_ really_ I wanted to, I could just shoot you right now, _BANG_!" Harley made her two fingers like a gun and pointed it directly at Sophie's face. "It would be _much_ faster, although I'd _hate_ to get blood on my nice outfit. Like it?"

Sophie didn't look at Harley's nice outfit. Instead, upon hearing how easily Harley could dispose of her, her stomach churned and her throat tightened. She couldn't stop the tears flowing again no matter how much she wanted to. She was surrounded by killers and she had no means of escaping. No amount of hugs or kisses could change that fact, and Sophie had to remember that.

Harley slapped herself on the forehead after realizing what she'd said. Of course she'd frightened the kid once more, and she felt like an idiot. "Oh, Harl, you and your big mouth! Hey, listen, honey," she said, quietly. "You don't gotta be afraid of me, really. I'm not so bad, honest. Look!" Harley pulled off her headpiece and took off her mask, revealing her pretty blonde hair and sparkling blue eyes. "Nothing scary, here! Well, unless my roots are starting to show, that is!"

Sophie stopped crying after a moment, and slowly looked at Harley, unmasked. Her face broke into a tiny smile, and her eyes began to sparkle, too. Suddenly, without her mask, Harley didn't seem at all threatening or dangerous, and it calmed Sophie a great deal. "Oh, hey! It's just a costume! Like for Halloween! I_ love_ Halloween!"

"Right-a-rooni, my dear! I'm just as normal as you are. At least, I_ think_ I am. The folks down at Arkham Asylum might think otherwise, though," Harley mumbled. "But, I promise I'm not gonna hurt you. Never ever!"

Sophie smiled a little and sat beside Harley, her nerves calming somewhat. Sophie found herself believing Harley's promise of not hurting her, and she only hoped her naïve thinking wouldn't get her killed in the end.

"So listen. Let me give ya a little word of advice for the future, okay?" Harley said, seriously. "It's _pro_-ba-bly not in your best interest to _ever_ rat out criminals of any kind, not unless you _do_ wanna end up fish food. You got it?"

Sophie nodded. "Yeah, _especially_ when you're as clumsy as I am and wind up falling into the trunk of their car," she mumbled. "I guess I'm a criminal now, too. I assisted in a kidnapping of..._ myself."_

Harley was silent for a moment, then she burst into giggles. "Oh, sweetie, you're a riot!"

Sophie frowned, and her cheeks turned even more rosey-colored as she blushed. She definitely found nothing funny about her current situation, especially the conditions in which led to it. Harley noticed the sour look on Sophie's face, and stopped laughing.

"Well, _I_ don't think it's so funny," Sophie said, her eyes narrowed. She crossed her arms over her chest, angrily.

"Aw, you gotta admit, it _is_ kinda funny. I never heard of someone helping out in their own accidental abduction!" Harley said, giggling again.

"Yeah, it's hilarious," said Sophie, angrily, a huge frown forming on her face.

"C'mon, cutie. Turn that frown upside down!" Harley cried, with a laugh.

Sophie ignored the remark, still just as serious as could be.

"Hey, listen, honey. If you're gonna hang out with me, you gotta learn to laugh. It's required, and you're gonna do it...whether you like it or_ not,_" Harley said, a sly grin forming on her face.

Before Sophie knew what was happening, Harley reached out and tickled her ribcage, sending her into a fit of uncontrollable giggles. Harley had found her weakness.

"Come on, cutie pie! Say it was funny, or you're_ really_ gonna get it!" said Harley.

"Okay!" Sophie gasped, giggling and squirming with no escape. "Okay, okay! I guess it _was_ sorta funny. I _guess_."

As Harley stopped her torture, Sophie still tried her best to keep her scowl, which just made Harley laugh even more. She gave Sophie a few more quick pokes in her sides, grinning.

"I gotta hand it to you, though. You had me fooled earlier tonight, just for a second. I was _sure_ I saw somebody on the roof, but you disappeared like lightning. You're so _quick!"_ Harley said, a little awe in her voice.

Sophie smiled and blushed. "Yeah, I'm quick but clumsy. I guess it doesn't go well together, huh?"

"Well, considering where you're sitting now, I'd say _not,"_ Harley, said, laughing. "Better luck the next time around, S.P." Harley gasped a little. "Hey! Sophie Pieska...S.P. That sounds a lot like "swee-tie," doesn't it? Sweetie Pieska. Oh, geez, even your _name_ is cute!"

Sophie giggled, too. "I never thought of that."

Rock and Bugs had been hiding out in the shadows at that time, eagerly waiting for their golden chance. They agreed with Harley's earlier remark - they both thought Sophie was a cutie, too, and were itching for a taste of just how cute she could be.

Rock walked back into the room, slowly and carefully. "Yo, Harley. The Boss wants to see you. He says you'd better get back there pronto. He's ready for _the...business_ with you."

Harley's eyes grew wide, and she squealed with delight as she jerked her hat back onto her head. "He's ready for business already, huh? Well, I hope he's really ready for it!"

Sophie jumped up, too. "What kinda business? Financial stuff, right?"

Rock chuckled as he walked away. "Yeah, right, kid. _Financial_ stuff."

Once Sophie realized what she'd said, she found herself blushing yet again at her stupidity. After a moment, she was able to realize just what Harley meant when she said, "business."

Harley burst out laughing, too, after hearing what Sophie had asked. "I think I'm gonna bust a gut with every word you say, kid! You're a real comedic little clown." She ruffled Sophie's hair. "Unfortunately, given my puddin's track record, I'll be back sooner rather than later. So, don't go anywhere, okay?"

As Harley sprinted off, eager to talk "business" with the Joker, Sophie gulped again as she looked at her surroundings. The Joker's hideout seemed much more frightening now that she was alone in the murky place. She looked around at all the random toys scattered everywhere. She noticed a tiny clown down which eerily resembled the Joker, and gasped after looking at it. The Joker himself still scared her, and seeing a tiny replica of him didn't make her feel any better. As she stood up, she gasped again, but this time, it was because Rock and Bugs were standing behind her. Her stomach dropped as she looked up at the two big thugs.

"Harley was right, wasn't she, Rock? This kid probably is the cutest little thing I've ever seen," said Bugs, with an evil, sly grin.

Sophie backed up nervously as the two men advanced towards her. "I'm actually not that cute, I-I promise."

Rock licked his lips, again. "Oh, I bet we can find something cute about you if we look hard enough."

"No, leave me alone!" Sophie cried out, angrily, her eyes filling with tears. She knew her tiny, 5 foot frame's chance of escaping or overpowering them were less than zero. Both men towered over her, and she felt sick in her stomach.

Bugs grabbed Sophie's arm and held on tightly. "How about I go first, Rock. You can have seconds, alright? I'm just raring to go."

Sophie tried to kick and punch him, but her attempts were futile against his rock-hard body. "Stop it! Leave me alone, please! Please!"

Bugs shoved Sophie hard onto the ground, and she gasped out in pain. She tried with all her strength to kick and scratch Bugs, as her eyes brewed fresh, terrified tears.

"Stop it, stop it!" Sophie screamed loudly, still kicking her as hard as she could. Rock kneeled beside them and pinned her legs down, until she was completely unable to move.

"No!" was the last pathetic, sobbing scream Sophie made before she saw the huge brown mallet come swinging over her head and crack into Bugs' shoulder.

He flew backwards, causing Rock to gasp and let go of Sophie's legs. Sophie's eyes were still cloudy from her tears, but as she sat up quickly, she saw the flash of red and black swing the mallet again, this time hitting Bugs on his head.

"If either one of you slimy, disgusting pigs _ever_ lay a hand on that kid again, I'll bash your skulls in! You got that?" Harley screamed so loudly that Sophie's stomach dropped at the sound of pure rage in her voice.

Rock nodded. "Relax, Harl. We were just havin' a little fun! We weren't gonna do nothing, honest!"

Harley's answer came as a swing from her mallet right on his temple. He fell backwards into a crate of boxes. "Yeah well, you just try it again. I_ dare_ ya."

Bugs and Rock rubbed their heads and shuffled away, grumbling to themselves. Harley threw her mallet away as Sophie stood up, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand.

"Are you okay, sweetie?" Harley asked, walking over to her, her eyes filled with concern. "I figured those two idiots had set me up once my puddin' kicked me out of the room as soon as I came in. But don't worry, I'll make 'em pay, later, that's for sure."

Before any other thought came to her mind, Sophie threw her arms out and hugged Harley as tightly as she could. "Oh, Harley, you saved me! You saved me!"

Harley laughed again, but her laughter soon turned to chokes as Sophie's grip grew tighter. "Hey, easy there, kiddo! You're crushin' my lungs!"

Sophie gasped and released her rescuer from the bone-crunching hug, blushing again. "Oh gosh, I'm so sorry. It's just...if you didn't come when you did..."

Harley waved her hand to shush her. She didn't want to think about what would have happened, because she might have just gone ahead and disposed of both Rock and Bugs at that very moment. "Yeah, I know what could have happened, sweetie. So tell me, are your folks gonna flip when they find out what you've been up to? Maybe they've already sent out search parties for you!"

Sophie shook her head a little sadly. "Who knows where my dad is. Who knows _who_ my dad is." She smiled a little as she remembered, and Harley could see her face change to sadness. "Once, when I was four, my Mom promised me some ice cream, so we drove downtown. I was so happy, 'cause she never did_ ...motherly_ things like that. She used to tell me how she _hated_ being a mom, and she wished I'd just grow up and leave." Sophie looked at Harley in total seriousness, but still managed to smile a little. "Mom let me out on the curb and told me to wait a few minutes while she found a parking spot." Sophie closed her eyes for a moment, then opened them before she spoke again. She chuckled a little. "Wait a few minutes. _Right_. She dropped me off like a pile of trash, and then never came back."

Harley gasped, putting her hand over her mouth. "_What_?"

Sophie shrugged her shoulders. "I guess that's _one_ way of letting go of motherhood, huh? A girl saw me on the street and started talking to me, and then the police came. I got sent to an orphanage that very day. Anyway, last I heard, my Mom bit the bullet not long after that. I never _could_ stay adopted, though."

Harley had listened with as much sympathy as her confused little mind could handle, but her heart still broke, and she cupped Sophie's face in her hands. "Oh, sweetie pie, that's _horrible._ You really don't got no family at _all_?"

"Just myself, but it's okay," Sophie replied, with a tired yawn. She sat down on the floor, completely exhausted after the days craziness. "The other kids in the orphanage used to beat me up 'cause I was so much smaller than they were. I actually joined a city cheerleading squad only 'cause I thought learning all those jumps and kicks would come in handy someday, and it did. I could out-flip and get away from those kids without even trying." She yawned again and rubbed her eyes, sleepily. Harley said nothing. "But, living in the orphanage wasn't for me, so I split two years ago. You'd think after living on the streets I'd be more tough and brave, but I'm about as tough as a marshmallow bunny and I'm afraid of _everything_. I guess I'm pretty pathetic, huh?" Sophie managed to smile and give a little giggle, trying to find humor in her story. A second later, she couldn't find strength to hold herself up anymore. She curled up into a tired little ball as Harley frowned, still unable to speak. "If I could be half as strong as _you_, Harley," Sophie whispered quietly, "no one could _ever_ hurt me. I just _know_ it."

Sophie closed her eyes then, and before she knew it, she was fast asleep. She was just unable to stay awake any longer after such a hard day. For a long time, Harley sat and thought. She stared out blankly into the darkness, just thinking as hard as she could.


	3. The Joker Does a Good Deed

Sophie couldn't remember ever being as tired as she had been the previous night. Then again, she'd never been accidentally caught by a dangerous gang, either. As she awoke the next morning, she opened her eyes, slowly. As her vision adjusted to her surroundings, she gasped in shock. Sophie had been hugging a stuffed rabbit close to her while she had slept, and it was still in her arms. It only took a few seconds for Sophie to remember where she was, and it scared her. She threw the rabbit away and leapt out of bed as fast as she could, ready to make her getaway as soon as possible. She still wondered if the Joker would make good on his threat to kill her with his bare hands, and she didn't want to wait around to find out. Unfortunately in her rush, Sophie accidentally stepped on something hard and soft. It was the tail of Lou, one of the Joker and Harley's pet hyenas. And he didn't enjoy it at all. Lou yelped out in pain upon the impact of Sophie's foot, and he growled at her, bearing his sharp white teeth.

Sophie chuckled a little as she looked into his wide, open mouth. She nervously sat back down on the tiny bed she'd been sleeping on, gulping. Maybe she wouldn't be making a getaway anytime soon. "S-sorry?" She sputtered, with a sheepish grin on her face.

Sophie nervously held her breath as Lou considered her for a minute. He put his two paws on the bed and sniffed all around her face and neck. His prickly whiskers tickled something horrible, but she was too scared to move or even breathe. She wondered how long she'd held her breath, but she knew it had to have been some sort of record. Just as she was beginning to feel light-headed from lack of oxygen, Lou suddenly licked her cheek, satisfied with his background check. He had concluded that this tiny thing was of no threat to his territory, or to his brother, mother and father.

Sophie slowly and carefully reached out to pet him, sighing with relief. She loved animals with all her heart, and she was glad this one seemed to like her, too. She had to giggle before she spoke to him. "Thank you for letting me keep my face attached to my body!"

"Well hey, I see you managed not to get your limbs ripped off by ol' Lou, here," said a laughing voice. The Joker appeared, his trademark yellow grin plastered on his face. "What a _shame_."

"W-would he really do that?" Sophie asked, gulping nervously as she looked up at him.

The Joker laughed, loudly. "Why, of _course_ he would. We have both dogs trained to tear intruders to shreds. They're big, mean, killing machines!"

Bud whined and scratched his paw on Sophie's leg, indicating he wanted to be pet, too. Sophie, feeling braver than the previous night stiffed back a giggle as she saw the Joker's face drop. He had intended to frighten her with the hyenas, and both animals had shown just how big of babies they were, in the end. This infuriated the Joker even more than he already was, and he scowled, angrily.

"Listen, you little _brat_. Don't think just because my vicious pet hyenas didn't tear your face off doesn't mean that _I _won't," the Joker spat angrily, making Sophie gasp and stand up in shock. "The fact remains that because of _you_, a meeting which could have changed the fate of Gotham was _ruined_. Don't think I haven't forgotten that. You're lucky I didn't smother you in your sleep last night!"

Sophie shivered. "D-don't worry, Mister...um...Clown Face. I-I'll leave, right now!"

The Joker shoved her back onto the bed with a thud. "The name's _Joker_, small fry. And you're not going _anywhere_."

Sophie's eyes got wide with fright. Now, she really feared the worst. "I-I'm not?" She asked, in a small, terrified voice.

Sophie felt her heart beat wildly in her chest, and she felt extremely light-headed. She didn't want to annoy him with begging and pleading for her life, but perhaps she could try her luck. Although, judging by the intense look of pure hatred the Joker seemed to have on his face, she decided against it. For a split second, she wondered if she could make a beeline for the door. Harley had said, after all, that she was quite quick, and maybe the Joker didn't have as much agility as she had. But, fear took over all other thoughts of escape, and Sophie was stuck in place. She wondered how the Joker was going to kill her. With his hands, with a knife, gun, poison, or any other twisted way she dared not think about.

The Joker bawled his fists up as hard as he could and snatched her up with both of his hands. "Now, you listen up, 'cause I'm only gonna say this _once_. If you _ever_ think about compromising my hideout under _any_ circumstances, I will_ tear you_ to shreds before I make you wish you'd never been born. You got that?"

Sophie nodded, gulping, even if she was highly, highly confused. "W-what do you mean?"

The Joker sighed, as if he had dreaded that question the whole time. He gently released Sophie's collar, and put his hand to his temple, slowly. "Well...my dear, sweet little Harlequin has somehow convinced me to let you live...and to let you live _here_, seeing as you have nowhere else to go. I had a good mind to bound and gag you and hand-deliver you to an orphanage around here, but Harley was insistent and _very_ convincing. But hear this. One step out of line from you, and you're out of here in a body bag. _Got_ it?" Joker said, almost vomiting on the words he spoke. "I don't have time to waste with snot-nosed little kids like you, so just keep away from me!"

Sophie gaped open-mouthed at the Joker. She just couldn't believe what she'd heard. A thought had been in the back of her mind, but it had still been there. She assumed in some rare, rare case the Joker didn't actually kill her, that Harley, being a sensitive woman, would have demanded Sophie return to the orphanage where she could have been taken care of. Sophie had seen the distressed look on Harley's face after she had told her she'd run away from the orphanage and lived on the streets. But now, to hear that she'd actually been _against_ sending her back was something completely crazy.

The Joker began thinking that he actually _was _insane. He was a dangerous criminal with big plans, and now, suddenly, he was "adopting" a kid? He angrily stormed out of the room without another word, needing to kill something just to rid himself of the good deed he was doing. It disgusted him and hoped it wouldn't ruin his reputation if anyone should find out.

Sophie's head was spinning as she slowly sat back down on the bed, trying to process what had just happened, but it was very difficult to formulate any thoughts at the moment. Harley, a rare time of her being out of her costume, wasted no time in bounding into the room, grinning like a child on Christmas. She kissed Sophie's forehead and wrapped her into a tight hug, her pig-tails bouncing happily and her blue eyes sparkling with excitement.

"Isn't this _great_, sweetie pie?" said Harley, squeezing her with all her might."Maybe you don't have a real family according to some _stupid_ adoption papers, but you _certainly_ aren't gonna be living on the streets anymore. That's _no_ place for a cute, sweet little kid like you."

Sophie was in a state of pure shock. "B-but, you don't...I mean...you didn't... you...don't you wanna send me back to the orphanage?" Sophie hated to bring up the subject, and she surely feared an answer she didn't want to hear. But she had to know Harley's thoughts on the subject.

Sophie's voice had quivered with nervousness a little, and Harley noticed it. "No way, absolutely _not_, sweetie. Look, I know orphanages are great and all, but if you didn't wanna be there so much that you'd rather live on the mean streets of Gotham, I would never ever _ever_ send you back. _I'll_ take care of you just like you were my sister or something, 'cause I want you here with _me."_

Sophie looked at Harley, wide-eyed. "Y-you really _want_ me with you?" No one had ever told Sophie they wanted her to stay with them. She was accustomed to people telling her they _didn't_ want her with them, so she really couldn't believe what she was hearing. It was the most beautiful words she'd ever heard.

Harley giggled at the pure absurdity of Sophie's question. "Of _course_ I do, cutie! You'll _never_ have to go back to that orphanage, I _promise." _ Harley planted two kisses on Sophie's cheeks, but Sophie was utterly speechless by then. "You're home is right here with _me." _

"I...I," Sophie began, her eyes filling with tears. Her heat was filled with so much emotion she expected it to burst at any minute. "Do you _really_ mean it? I have a home, here?"

Harley giggled again after seeing the look on Sophie's face. "Home sweet home."

Sophie couldn't contain herself anymore, and she burst into tears. This time, though, her tears were from happiness. She wrapped her arms around Harley's waist and hugged her as tight as her little arms could. "Oh, Harley! Thank you! Thank you _so_ much!"

Harley chuckled a little and returned the hug. "I mean I know it's not Buckingham Palace here, but at least-"

"No, no!" Sophie cried, in a rush, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand. "It's..it's _perfect!"_ She looked around at the messy warehouse and couldn't help but giggle a little. It _wasn't_ perfect, actually, but as Harley said, it was home. And that's all Sophie needed to hear. "I mean, I've even always wanted a pet dog, and you've got _two_ of them!"

Harley grinned. "Yeah, and I think they really like you. Come here, babies! Come say hi to your new auntie!"

Both animals bounded over to Sophie and pounced on her, knocking her to the floor and licking her all over her face. She giggled as she tried to shove them off of her. "Okay, okay, I love you, too! C'mon, get off me!"

As Harley wrestled the hyenas away from Sophie, Sophie was suddenly overcome with intense emotion. No one had ever defended her or protected her like Harley had the previous night with the Joker's two thugs, and now, Harley had not only convinced the Joker to give her a place to stay, but had promised to never make her go back to the orphanage, which is something Sophie had always feared even while being on the streets. Harley had promised to take care of her, just as if they were a family. Sophie wasn't used to this kind of behavior from anybody. She was used to being rejected, picked on, or just plan overlooked. But now, finally, someone _did_ care about her and _wanted_ her with them. She was almost unable to function once she realized the seriousness of Harley's words. Even Harley most likely wasn't aware of just how much of an impact her words had made on Sophie, but they had. And from that moment on, Harley was, in Sophie's eyes, one of the most amazing human beings on the planet, and her heart was full because of it. She vowed to protect Harley, too, no matter what it meant.


	4. Harley Quinn's Aide

It didn't take long at all for Sophie to figure out just how infamous the Joker and Harley really were. By reading _The Gotham Times_ and watching the news programs about their elaborate fiascos and narrow escapes from the law and from the Bat Clan, Sophie was in complete awe. After every picture, every article, every story, they seemed like some sort of A-list celebrity criminals. She couldn't believe she was really in the presence such masters of mischief... the Clown Prince and Princess of Crime.

Sophie began to not only idolize Harley, but also the Joker, as well. She wasn't afraid of the idea that she was sharing living quarters with dangerous criminals who could have easily disposed of her any time they wished (and sometimes, she wondered if the Joker eventually _would_) ...rather, the whole thing greatly excited her. She imagined what it must feel like during their heists...the adreneline, the excitement...the _fun_ the Joker and Harley seemed to have.

Since Sophie had lived a few years of her young life on the streets, she knew all about stealing and plundering without getting caught. She figured, in a way, she had also been a criminal of some sort, just not to the degree of the Joker and Harley. Although, Sophie's curse was that she had a very sweet disposition about her, so at times, she had felt a pang of guilt after stealing money from people, no matter how small the amount. But she had to admit, after watching Harley and the Joker carrying bags and bags of money and jewels into their hideout, her old feelings of guilt quickly left her, and she began to get restless and eager.

One night, while watching admiringly as Harley applied her make-up for a job, Sophie sighed, pathetically. She was very eager to finish a previous conversation that Harley had purposely ignored on account of hoping Sophie would forget about it. But, Sophie hadn't forgotten, not one bit.

"But, _Harleeeeey_," Sophie whined, actually annoying herself with her tone of voice, "_why_ can't I go with you guys when you rob banks or museums or _anything?_ I _always_ gotta stay here with Bud and Lou. I never get to have any fun!" Sophie pouted, hoping to win sympathy with her deafening whine and stuck-out bottom lip. "It's just not fair!"

Harley, though, ignored the whining and the pathetic look from her tiny companion, and she playfully dusted powder across Sophie's nose, making her sneeze. "Listen, sweetie. I _know _ it's boring around here for you when we're gone. I totally get it. But, that's why I stole you all those books to read and study all day since you don't go to school. You can't come out with us, 'cause that'll mean less time for you to get smart and stuff. You don't wanna grow up and be nothing but a stupid blonde bimbo, do ya?"

Sophie paused for a moment. "_Yes!"_

Harley giggled again, shaking her head. "Oh, it's just a buncha boring stuff we do, anyway. Gunshots, exploding bombs, laughing gas, car chases, and that lousy B-Man crashing the party all the time. It's no place for a little kid like you. It's better for you to be here, learning all the useful life information you should be learning, not shooting guns and running from the cops! I feel much better knowing you're safe here at home. I mean, what would happen if B-Man or one of his annoying little twerpy Bat friends caught you?"

Sophie jumped up eagerly, tightly grasping Harley's hand. "Oh, but they _wouldn't_ catch me! I'm too quick for them! I'd zip by them so fast they wouldn't even know I was there!"

Harley laughed a little. "You _say_ that, honey, but you've never seen them in action. They've got more gadgets and gizmos then you could ever imagine." She narrowed her eyes a bit. "It's actually _really_ annoying."

"But, Harley, I just wanna go out and at least _see_ what you do!" Sophie said, sadly. "I don't wanna just read about it in the paper or watch it on TV! Can't I just go _one_ time? _Please_? I promise I won't get your way. Oh please, oh please, oh _please?"_ Sophie pleaded, her hands folded in desperation. She even gave Harley a quick hug around her neck for good measure.

"Sorry, S.P., but the answer is still, '_No_,'" said Harley, firmly.

"But _Harley,"_ Sophie began, her teeth gritted angrily. "I even have a-"

"Don't 'But Harley,' me," interrupted Harley, with a motherly huff. "Nothing's gonna change my mind. Your place is _here_. End of story. Thanks for coming, you've been a terrific audience. Try the veal, it's the best in the city. Good_night_."

Sophie scowled angrily, unhappy to have lost a fight she was almost sure she could win. Usually she could convince Harley of anything with enough hugs, begging, or pleading, but apparently, this was one time she just couldn't.

"_Harley!_" Joker cried out, suddenly. "What the _heck _ is taking you so long? We're already running late and I'm getting impatient!"

"Oh," Harley gasped, quickly shutting her make-up kit. "Sheesh, I better get a move on if I wanna keep my head!"

"And don't forget to grab my exploding gum balls. We'll need 'em, tonight!" The Joker added, his anger not having eased at all.

Harley adjusted her hat one last time, then gently pinched Sophie's cheeks despite her still being upset with Harley. "See ya later, cutie. I gotta run find those gum balls, and then I'm outta here. You remember what I said. You're much safer here, and that's a _good_ thing. I'm not joking. I_ mean_ it."

Sophie's arms were still angrily crossed over her chest. "Yeah, yeah."

Harley giggled and kissed her forehead before dashing off to find the Joker's deadly weapons. Sophie smiled a little as Harley left. She eyed something red, which was tightly tucked away in a box under Sophie's bed. Her face broke into a sly grin. "Maybe it _is_ safer here, but I always _did_ like a little danger."

* * *

><p>As Harley drove down the road, the Joker seemed more antsy than normal, and she couldn't help but inquire about it. "A penny for your thoughts, Puddin'?"<p>

Joker grunted a stiff reply from the backseat. "Bats and his little groupies better not crash our party this time. Last week when Batgirl foiled one of our other jobs and we made off with next to nothing, I blame _you_ for that. We need to step up our game if we want to succeed, here. We've been lagging behind lately. We haven't gotten nearly as much money as we need."

"But, how is it _my _ fault if Bat-Brain shows up?" Harley asked, with a pout. "_I'm _ not the one who uses the stupid Bat Signal!"

"Because _everything's _ your fault, you twit. Now, just shut up and drive," said Joker. "The faster we get to the display, the better."

The display he'd been speaking of, Harley knew, was the rare exhibition of jewels at the city museum. If they managed to make off with them, they'd be able to make a fortune.

Harley parked the car within easy access for a quick getaway, should they need it. As she grabbed her duffel bag out of the passenger seat, she and Joker heard a loud sneeze. They looked at each other, and Joker walked towards the back of the car, his gun raised and ready. The source of the sneeze kicked open the trunk of the car, slamming Joker straight in the face.

Sophie sat up, her face painted white, dressed in a red leotard, a black tutu, and red tights, complete with one of Harley's black masks and black boots. She grinned widely, her red lipstick sparkling in the streetlights. Unbeknownst to either Harley or Joker, weeks before, Sophie had improvised and created her own version of Harley's costume as best she could. She had spent her nights with her mind racing after seeing the Joker and Harley on the news, and she wanted her own disguise, too, in case Harley would have agreed to let her join them one day. She wanted to be ready for when the time came...and she had hoped it would, eventually.

"Oops! Sorry, Mister Joker," Sophie said with a little giggle. She jumped out of the trunk with ease. "Hope that didn't hurt _too_ bad."

"Oh, sweetie! What on _earth_ are you doing here?" Harley cried, almost in agony. "You're supposed to be back at the hideout, you know..._hiding out!"_

"This isn't a field trip, you pesky little _brat,"_ said the Joker, angrily, pointing his gun at Sophie, ready to fire at her. "If you mess up this job for me, so help me G-"

Sophie calmly pushed the gun away with her finger. The Joker had since lost all his power of fear over her. "Cool your jets, Mister Joker. I _promise_ I'll stay out of your way. I'm not even gonna go into the museum. I'll be in the car, waiting right here 'til you finish. Out of sight, out of mind. I just wanted to see what you do, that's _all_."

Sophie jumped into the passenger seat of the car and smiled, her dimples extra dimply. If a halo could have shined above her head, it would have at that moment.

"You _promise_ you'll stay here?" Harley said, biting her lip, nervously. She still hated the idea of Sophie being there in the first place, simply because she didn't want anything to happen to her in case the law showed up.

Sophie held up two fingers which had been crossed. "I _promise._ Scouts honor. I won't make a peep. I'll be as quiet as a mouse."

The Joker put his gun away, but it pained him to do so. "If you move an_ inch_, kid, you'll be a _dead_ mouse."

The Joker was already annoyed as it was, and he snatched Harley away before any more could be said. He secretly wished Harley would allow him to shoot Sophie, and he would work on convincing her, later. They had a job to do, and no time to waste.

Sophie knew her idea of sneaking into the trunk of their car was a great idea, and she honestly wasn't surprised she'd been able to sneak in before either the Joker or Harley had noticed. Indeed, she was very sneaky, and she was very fast. She also knew her idea of recreating Harley's costume was an even better idea. Now that she had her very own disguise, they just had let her tag along on all of their missions. Sophie greatly envied the two and was thrilled to actually be able to see them work. They were always so daring and cunning, and no one ever caught them. She knew it was because both Joker and Harley were extremely good at what they did, and she really admired them both.

After over half an hour of sitting idle in the car, Sophie itched to get out and wander around, or at least take a peek into the museum...but in the end, she decided against it. After all, she knew the Joker did have a loaded gun, and she didn't feel like eating lead for a midnight snack. So in the end, she settled for twiddling her thumbs and continuing to wait, no matter how bored she got. Suddenly, she noticed three dark figures lurking on the museum roof, and she gasped loudly, leaping out of the car as to not be seen. Sophie's heart raced as she noticed the capes and the two pairs of distinctive ears, and her blood ran cold.

"No, it's Batman!" Sophie gasped, in fear. "What if he catches them? Oh, I gotta _do_ something!"

Suddenly, the figures disappeared just as fast as they had appeared, and it made her very nervous. She knew it was never a good outcome for criminals when the Bat Family was around, no matter how evasive her friends could have been. She leapt up from the ground and grabbed a bag of the Joker's tiny smoke bombs, along with a tiny pocket knife out of the glove compartment. She ran towards the museum, nervous for the fate of Joker and Harley with Batman and his friends at the scene.

She dashed to the bushes beside the entrance, trying to think of a way to get into the building to warn her friends before it was too late. Unfortunately, she didn't need to warn them, as the next thing she knew, Bruce and Barbara were escorting both the Joker and Harley out of the building, tied up with rope. Tim held a huge brown bag, sparkling with the jewels they had almost got away with stealing.

"I think you two are losing your edge, you know," said Barbara, with a cheeky grin which made Sophie angry. "Once you mess around with the security system in a place like this, it doesn't take long to realize something isn't right."

Bruce glared at them. "In any case, it's back to Arkham for the two of you. I just can't believe it's taken us this long to finally nab you again. But, I'm sure everyone will be excited to see you. They might even give you a nice welcome back party, if you're lucky."

Sophie gasped quietly. She just couldn't let those creeps take them away, but she had no idea what to do. "Come on, think of something, Soph! Think, think, think!" She racked her brain for an idea...for any idea, no matter how stupid it seemed. She glanced down at the tiny bag of the Joker's smoke gum ball bombs she gripped in one of her hands, and suddenly, she thought of something. She just hoped it would work. She quietly tucked the tiny bag into the strap of her tutu and as quiet as a mouse, she slipped away, unseen.

Tim peeked in at the bag of jewels, his eyes sparkling with the reflection of the gems. "Whoa! Just _look_ at these babies, Batman. It's no wonder these two clowns wanted to steal them. I bet they're worth a pretty penny!"

"Exactly why we're putting them back where they belong," said Bruce. "With the alarm system out, they're safer somewhere else for the time being. Just as soon as we take these two down to the Asylum, we'll-"

"Oh, Batman! _Wow_! It's really you, isn't it? And_ Batgirl_, too? Oh, I've _always_ wanted to meet you both! You're my heroes!" Sophie suddenly cried, appearing in front of them, and pretending to be out of breath from running.

Bruce and Barbara were at a loss for words at their tiny fan girl. Tim, on the other hand, scowled at obviously being left out of the party.

"Oh yeah? And what am _I_, chopped liver?" Tim huffed.

Sophie ignored Tim's remark and continued with her overly exaggerated fan-girling. "I just love you both so much, and when I saw you over here, I just _had_ to come and see what dirty scum you were about to get rid of!"

"Why you little-" began Joker, before Harley elbowed him in his rib-cage. She didn't know what Sophie was up to, but she figured they had better just go with it.

"But, honey, what're you doing out so late? It's so dangerous out here all by yourself," Barbara asked, her eyes widening. "Especially for someone your age."

"Oh," Sophie gasped, laughing nervously. "I was just...um...on my way home from a...from a Halloween costume party that just finished, and I saw the commotion over here," she said, smiling a little. "And then when I saw my two favorite heros, I just _had_ to come meet you."

The Joker made a gagging face, but luckily, no one noticed.

"_Three_ heroes,"Tim said, trying to regain some of his pride. He was also worth being gushed over just as much as his two older companions. Although, he couldn't help but stare at Sophie...and also couldn't help but be intrigued by her stunning blue eyes. They were eyes he would never be able to forget.

When Sophie turned to face Tim directly, his anger soon vanished and turned into shyness, and he felt himself blush. ''I do hero-y stuff _too_, y'know," he mumbled.

Sophie again ignored Tim's remarks as she slowly gazed back to Harley and the Joker. Apparently, she wasn't getting the message Tim was trying to convey to her.

"Oh, wow, are these the criminals?" Sophie asked, in fake awe. She walked around behind Harley for just a moment, appearing to have wanted a better look. "They look pretty _stupid_ if ya ask me."

"Hey, who you callin' _stupid_?" Harley spat angrily, her face darkening. She forgot for a moment that Sophie was on their side...until Sophie managed to pass the pocket knife into her hand before she walked back around to the front. Since Sophie was so small and quick, no one noticed the pass.

"Yes, they're real criminals, and they're dangerous criminals," said Bruce, as Sophie stopped next to the Joker. "Who should be avoided at all costs."

Sophie held her hands up into the air and stepped away from her friends. "I get it, I get it. I just got one question, Batman. Why are you wearing tights?" Sophie giggled a little, especially when she noticed Bruce blush a bit. "I mean, _I'm_ wearing tights with my costume 'cause I'm a girl, but-"

"Actually," interrupted Tim, just itching to finally get Sophie to talk to him, "your costume _does_ look a little familiar, but I just can't figure it out. I...I like it."

Sophie finally realized the impact she had on Tim, and she smiled and batted her eyes at him and put her hand on his shoulder. Both Tim and Sophie were just kids, but Harley had managed to influence Sophie in more ways than just the art of thieving. "Thank you. It kinda matches one of my favorite people in the world."

After hearing Sophie's words, Harley grinned as wide as she possibly could, and had to stop herself from speaking, which wasn't so easy for her. Harley wanted to run and scoop Sophie up for a hug, but she knew they couldn't blow their cover. That, and she was still all tied up. But, thanks to Sophie's distraction, they were just about free and just needed a few more seconds.

"Hey, wait just a minute," said Barbara, raising her eyebrows. "Halloween is _months_ away, so why would anyone be having a Halloween party now..._and_, what kinda party happens so late at night, anyway?

Sophie's smile faded, slowly. She was at a complete loss for words, and both Bruce and Barbara noticed. Sophie bit her lip, glancing at Harley and the Joker. Harley gave her a wink, and suddenly, her face burst into a grin, again. In an instant, she couldn't contain herself, and Sophie burst into childish giggles after she realized her plan, her brilliant plan had _actually_ worked.

"_This_ kind!" Sophie managed to shout. In a flash, she grabbed the tiny bag hooked in her tutu strap and threw a handful of the smoke bombs onto the ground, completely covering the area around them in thick, gray smoke.

"Hey, what's going on?" Tim cried, his eyes burning from the smoke. "I can't see a thing!"

"Sayonara, _suckers_!" Harley laughed, snapping the ropes completely off of herself and the Joker.

Bruce suddenly felt the ropes which held Joker and Harley become limp, and he gasped in anger, coughing and wheezing from the smoke. "Batgirl, Robin! Quinn and the Joker have escaped!"

Tim waved some of the smoke away and noticed that Sophie was gone, too. "Batman, where's that girl? The Joker must have taken her!" he coughed as he spoke. "And they swiped the bag of jewels, too!"

The smoke finally cleared just in time for the Bat family to see a car drive away at full speed. Sophie sat in the passenger seat, sticking her tongue out and waving to the trio as they drove off.

"Y'know something," said Barbara, slowly. "I don't think the Joker _took_ that girl. I think...she was working _with_ him!"

Bruce narrowed his eyes after a moment. "Did you see the way she was dressed?"

Tim smiled wearily. "Yeah. It was a great costume, huh?"

Barbara shook her head in annoyance at her young friend. "Come to think of it, it _did_ kinda remind me of..." Barbara's voice trailed off as she began to think. She gasped, loudly. "Oh, dear. _Harley_?"

"You mean, that girl is some sort of...Harley Quinn apprentice or something?" Tim gasped, horrified. "What a _lousy_ choice!"

Bruce nodded. "It's too early to tell, but it looks that way. One thing's for sure, though. That kid is hanging with the _wrong_ crowd."

Sophie cheered from the passenger seat of the car, her heart and mind racing. "Did ya _see_ that? Oh, _man!_ I just _totally_ saved your butts! Wasn't I _great_?"

Harley shook her head, disapprovingly. She was still ticked that Sophie had disobeyed her direct orders to stay in the hideout with the hyenas in the first place. "_First_ of all, I _told_ you to stay at home, and you didn't listen."

"But-" began Sophie in protest.

"And _second _of all," Harley continued, "_even_ after you snuck out anyway, you _promised_ you'd stay in the car. I mean, you coulda been hurt or something! Any one of those Bat punks could have done a number on you!"

Sophie shrugged her shoulders in defiance. "Aw, come on, Harley! Aren't you _glad_ I didn't stay in the car? I saw Batman coming after you two, so I wanted to warn you. When I saw they'd already captured you, I had to do _something._ So, I thought of a plan and I executed it. You and Mister Joker would be on your way to Arkham in the back of a police car if I didn't come after you!"

Sophie carefully glanced behind her after she spoke. She had noticed Joker didn't say a single word, which only made her more nervous. Usually when he was silent, it meant trouble for those around him. Either he was very pleased, or he was very angry. With Sophie's luck, she knew, it would be the latter. He had a huge grin on his face, though, which eased her fears, but only just a little. You could never tell with the Joker.

"Well, I guess for your first and last time with us, you did fine," said Harley. "A job well done."

"_Last_ time?" Sophie groaned, later on that night. She watched Harley take off her headpiece and mask with a frown on her face. "But...but _Harley_!" Sophie really detested whining, but she knew desperate times called for desperate measures.

"No buts, cupcake," Harley said, her voice muffled as she wiped off the white make-up from her face. "I already told ya before. It's _way_ too dangerous for you to go out with us, and I don't like it. I want you here, safe and sound. With B-Man, Bratgirl and Birdbrain running around, you-"

"But, Robin is just as much of a kid as_ I_ am!" Sophie cried out, angrily. "If stupid Batman can have Robin, why can't _you_ have _me_?" Sophie grabbed Harley's arm in desperation. "I could be useful for you, and I just _proved_ it, tonight. I could be like...your...your criminal sidekick. I even made my own costume just like _yours_!"

Harley grinned and cupped Sophie's face in her hands. "Your little ballet costume _was_ pretty cute, okay? But, you _can't _be my criminal sidekick, sweetie pie. You're just too...too _sweet_ to be a real criminal."

Sophie was appalled at it Harley's lack of confidence in her, and it only angered her a great deal more. She was more than just a " sweet little girl," even if Harley didn't think so.

"Now come on. Let's go to bed. It's been a long night, and I'm beat." Harley gave Sophie a grin, and kissed her forehead before leaving.

Harley was unaware that all her playful-mocking had only added fuel to Sophie's already angered internal fire. As Harley went off to bed, Sophie decided she wasn't going to sit around and be mocked, not even by Harley, whom she loved like a sister. She might have been young, weak and inexperienced, but she knew she had more to offer. As quiet as a mouse, Sophie grabbed a duffel bag, stuffed a few items inside, and snuck out of the hideout, full of determination to show everyone just what she was really made of.


	5. Sweetie Pie

Surprisingly, Sophie wasn't at all afraid of wandering the streets of Gotham City alone in the middle of the night. This was definitely something new, seeing as most of the time she was afraid of her own shadow. Instead, her bravery was fumed by anger over the fact that Harley had told her she was too much of a "sweetie pie" to ever be considered a real criminal. Sophie knew it was anything but true. She knew could be just as ruthless and criminal-like as the Joker and Harley put together.

"I bet I could be even _worse_ than they are!" Sophie said through gritted teeth as she passed a young teenaged couple holding hands.

They both looked at Sophie oddly. Not only because she had been talking to herself out loud, but that she was wearing her "Harley Jr." costume, and it certainly wasn't something the two lovers were used to seeing every day.

"What're _you_ looking at?" Sophie exploded, angrily drop-kicking them both, causing them to fall to the ground in heap. Ignoring their angry protests, she simply continued walking down the street, fists clenched. "I was walking here _first_, you stupid idiots!"

Sophie spent much of the night trekking across the town, being sure to avoid dangerous spots and steering clear of dark alleys. Sure she was angry, but she wasn't stupid. In fact, all the walking gave her time to think of a plan. A plan to show Harley she really meant business, and that she wasn't just a "sweetheart." By the time the sun arose over the horizon, Sophie was ready to do what she had do to. She wanted to prove herself not only to Harley, but also to the Joker, whom she was determined to win over eventually no matter what it took. She knew he despised her, probably almost as much as he despised his worst enemy, and she hated it.

After walking, talking, thinking, planning, and yawning all across Gotham, Sophie finally reached her first destination - a cute little Mom-and-Pop shop just on the outskirts of town. As she patiently waited for the store to open, she dug her hand into her bag and felt around for the items she had "borrowed" from the hideout. She just wanted to be sure she had everything she needed. She knew she had better not lose the stuff she'd taken, or the Joker would have her head on a platter. Sophie began to get butterflies in her stomach as she saw an older, kind-looking man flip the "Closed - Please Come Again" sign to "Open - Welcome." Suddenly, Sophie's stomach tightened and the butterflies got much worse.

"Oh, I can't do this!" Sophie mumbled, clutching her stomach tightly. "I really can't! Geez, am I _crazy,_ or what?" Sophie bit her lip, nervously. After a moment of thinking, she burst into giggles. "Crazy? Yeah, _absolutely!_"

Sophie continued to laugh as she zipped up her bag. With a huge, cute smile on her face, she entered the little shop. The old man glanced at her, then burst into a grin. How could someone not smile when seeing such a sweet, young girl like Sophie?

"Oh, my word," said the man, giving a little chuckle. "Would you just look at that. What an adorable little Halloween costume you have, sweetie. That's just the cutest thing ever!"

Sophie giggled in reply, still smiling. In a flash, she pulled out a huge grenade with the Joker's grinning face on it. "Well, this grenade is even _cuter_, don't ya think?"

The shop owner gasped and threw his hands up in the air. "Now, just wait a minute. Don't try anything funny, honey!"

Sophie's eyes got wide, and she giggled. "Funny honey! You're a comedian, too! Hey listen Mister, I don't want any trouble, okay? All I want is a few odds and ends. You got any nice, cheery, colorful fabric? That'll hit the spot."

"I-if I show you, will you promise not to use the grenade?" The old man asked, as nervous beads of sweat formed on his wrinkled forehead.

Sophie giggled again. "Well, it couldn't hurt your chances."

Gulping, the man took Sophie into the back of the store and showed her all the fabric he had. He wished he had a way to notify the police, but he didn't want to risk a grenade going off in his store.

"Oh, these are _great!"_ Sophie cried happily, finding some fabric she really liked. "These'll do just fine. The more bright and colorful, the better! Thank you _so_ much!" She stuffed the fabric into her bag with a laugh, then grabbed a few other random items she'd seen. Then, she turned to the man, grinning. "Well, I better be going. Places to go, things to do. Plus, I don't wanna be around with this little baby goes off." She tossed the grenade like a ball caught it a few times, as the man gasped.

"B-but you said you wouldn't use it!" The man said, breathlessly. He nervously stepped back, his hands out in front of him.

Sophie grinned like a Cheshire cat. "I _said_ it couldn't hurt your chances."

The man gulped. "C'mon, don't do this. You look like a sweet kid."

Sophie's face softened when she saw the terrified look on the man's face. He noticed the change in her expression, and he breathed a tiny sigh of relief. He was certain that a nice, cute little girl like that could never do something as horrible as release a grenade inside his store.

"Well, I guess you're right," said Sophie, quietly, her eyes cast downward. A few seconds later, she looked up at the man with a huge grin on her face as she held up the grenade. "Then again, looks _can _be deceiving, hm?"

Giggling, she pulled the pin out of the grenade,and casually tossed it back into the store as she raced out. The grenade rolled beside the man, who gasped loudly. He dashed out the back door not moments before it exploded with fiery anger, totally destroying his store. He clutched his heart and could barely breathe as he just stared after Sophie, his face in pure shock.

Sophie happily skipped down the street, still giggling up a storm. She turned around to look at what remained of the store. Her ocean blue eyes sparkled both from the reflection of the flames, and from the pure glee she felt. "Phase One, _check._" She removed her mask and tutu, tossing them on the side of the street with one gesture. "Phase Two..._ready._"

Sophie was just itching to continue with what remained of her plan, but she knew the only thing she could do now, was to wait until dark. As she sat down on a bench in Gotham City Park, she could hardly contain herself.

"Oh, if ony Harley could see me, now!" Sophie said, happily. "I just _blew up_ a building!" She paused a moment. "Well, it wasn't a very _big_ building, actually." She paused once more. "Well, actually...it wasn't really a _building_ at all. It was more of a...tiny little_ ...shop."_

Suddenly, Sophie's super big idea didn't seem so super big after all, and she pouted for a good part of the day after realizing it. She had hoped blowing up a building like she'd seen the Joker and Harley do would impress them just a little. She wondered if she should embellish the story once she relayed it to the Joker, and just tell them it was an office building she had demolished. He probably wouldn't be so impressed if she'd just blew up a measly little shop. Luckily, she had a part two to her plan, and she just hoped everything would go off without a hitch. After stealing a couple of hotdogs from a street vender, Sophie sat down in the park to eat her lunch/dinner. She mentally prepared for Phase Two as the sun slowly set, smiling a little. She was ready.

* * *

><p>Back at the hideout, Harley was, to say the least, a nervous wreck the entire day. After waking and discovering Sophie was missing, she'd about flipped her lid.<p>

"Oh, Mister J, where could she have _gone?_" Harley groaned for the tenth time the entire day. "Where is she, where _is_ she?"

The Joker could have cared less where Sophie was. "Maybe she went out for ice cream, Harley. How in the _world_ should I know?" He snapped at her, angrily. "That little _brat_ was more trouble then she was worth, so I say, good riddance to bad rubbish! Why in the world should I even _care_ where she is?"

"'Cause she's just a little kid, that's why!" Harley cried, angrily. "She could be hurt, or lost, or scared, or hungry-"

"So, just leave a bowl of food outside. If she's hungry enough, she'll come back. Y'know, just like a stray dog does," said Bugs with a loud, obnoxious laugh.

Bugs's joke was met with Harley's mallet crashing into the side of his head, and he flew backwards onto the ground with a loud thud.

"Shut your mouth, you _idiot!"_ Harley yelled, angrily heaving her mallet away. "Anything could have happened to her, and I'm about to-"

"You listen to me, Harley," said the Joker, grabbing her by her headpiece and jerking her towards him. He had a very good idea he knew what Harley wanted to say, and he wanted to put a stop to it right then and there. "I want you to _forget_ about going after her, or _you'll_ be out on the streets, too!"

"B-but _Puddin'!"_ Harley said, her voice quivering.

"Come on," said the Joker, ignoring Harley completely. "We've got some work to do."

Harley bit her lip, nervously. She was so sick with worry about Sophie, especially now that it was getting darker, but she also knew she had to obey her puddin', otherwise she'd be a goner. She just hoped wherever Sophie was, she was safe and sound.

Sophie was in fact, safe and sound, but she was most likely in the last place Harley would have expected her to be. The clever girl had managed to break into a huge sewing factory once the tired workers had called it a day. Luckily for her, having no friends at the orphanage had allowed her to watch the directors for countless hours as they sewed and mended their house uniforms. Sophie was basically a pro, and she set to work on Phase Two of her plan - a new costume for a new villain. She dug out the colored fabric she'd stolen, and got to work cutting, sewing, sweating, and cursing all through the night. When she'd finished, she held up her newly crafted costume, and gasped, loudly. "Oh, wow! This is freakin' _awesome!_"

Sophie had an interesting costume, that was for sure. She'd created a "leotard" out of half horizontal rainbow striped fabric on the right side, and half huge rainbow polka-dotted fabric on a white background on the left, split right down the middle. The "skirt" part of the one-piece costume was a pale blue, which stuck out just a little bit, much like a beauty pageant dress, just with much less "poof". Her tights were made with the same multi-colored fabric and were two-toned: one leg rainbow stripes, and the other, the rainbow polka-dots. They mismatched with the top part of her leotard just as Harley's red and black did, on her own costume. She finished off the look with one light pink boot and one light blue boot, a pale pink eye mask, light pink lipstick, a light dusting of pink blush on her cheeks, and fingerless gloves, one pink and one blue. After all, Sophie figured, seeing as Harley always called her a little clown, that her costume should reflect just that - an overly colorful cheerful clown...who would just assume shoot you in the leg than try and make you laugh.

Needless to say, Sophie was pretty darn proud of herself, seeing as it only took her a few hours to create everything. She grabbed her costume and changed just as fast as she could, ready to begin her first real heist. After using some white face paint and fake hair dye she'd stolen, she examined herself in the mirror, patting her pink-tipped sky-blue hair with a grin. She applied her pink lipstick, carefully, and grinned. "Phase Two, check. And now, Phase _Three."_ She picked up her duffel bag, still grinning as wide as she could go. "Oh, this is gonna be _good!_"

* * *

><p>As Tim swung across Gotham on his grapple line during one of he and Barbara's patrols, he couldn't stop thinking about Sophie. "I mean, did you <em>see<em> her eyes, Barb? They were the color of...like...the _ocean!_ I couldn't tell if her eyes were blue, or green, or emerald, or turquoise, or..." Tim was so love-struck that he almost crashed right into a tall building, and had to jerk himself back as to not slam right into it.

"Hey, you better watch yourself, kid," Barbara said, as they landed on the roof of an office building. "I don't wanna explain to B how you lost a limb obsessing over that strange girl who hangs out with the Joker and Harley."

Tim crossed his arms over his chest, defensively. "I'm not _obsessing._ I just think...I just think it's _weird,_ that's all. I mean, who would _wanna_ hangout with _them?"_

Barbara shrugged her shoulders. "Beats me. But, you better get your head out of the clouds. You can't do this job with distractions like that, y'know. You remember what happened this afternoon while we were talking to that guy whose store got blown up by a punk kid. You couldn't stop staring into space and almost got run over."

Tim rolled his eyes, and scanned the skyline of Gotham. "Yeah, yeah. I remember. I _still_ think that kid on the skateboard was going too fast, though."

Barbara rolled her eyes. "If you say so."

Tim sighed heavily as he scanned the horizon. "Well, Gotham looks all clear to me."

Not a moment after he'd spoken, they both noticed a flash of red in the distance, and smoke begin to rise from the ground. Tim cleared his throat a little in embarrassment.

Barbara grinned widely. "You were saying?"

From inside the bank, Sophie coughed and waved her hand in the air, trying to clear some of the smoke away. She looked at the huge Gotham City Bank safe door, which had been blasted open using a few of the Joker's grenades. She was surprised at just how powerful the grenades really were, and she knew it was no wonder the man's entire shop had basically disintegrated like it had earlier that day. Her eyes were wide with shock as she noticed the mounds and mounds of money inside the vault. She set to work stuffing the money into her bag, her heart leaping with joy at actually pulling off a job like this...alone. She stuffed and stuffed as fast as she could, and when she had taken as much money as she could lift with still no signs of any of the Bat People, she couldn't believe her good fortune. She shot her grapple gun through the glass window on the roof, ready to make the climb up, but she suddenly heard a commotion around her. She gasped, abandoning her line and hiding behind one of the teller desks in a flash.

"What on Earth was _that?"_ she heard Barbara ask with a cough at the smoke which still lingered in the air.

Sophie grinned widely. She couldn't believe Batgirl was actually coming after her. It was all so exciting! It was just like she'd read in the Gotham Times, about the numerous times Joker and Harley narrowly escaped from the Bat Family...and now, _she_ was part of it, too!

"Hey, look," Tim cried, pointing to the vault. "It looks like some crooks broke into the vault! Boy, they sure did a number on the door."

Sophie eyed her grapple line, thinking she was just close enough to climb it if needed. She debated just climbing up whilst Barbara and Tim inspected the vault, but she felt playful, as usual, and wanted to have a little fun before she went. She quickly jumped out from behind the desk, giggling loudly. "Not _some_ crooks. Just _me!"_

Both Tim and Barbara gasped, turning around to face the giggling Sophie. "Who're _you?_" They both asked, dumbfounded. They certainly weren't used to seeing thieves as young as Sophie out and about.

Sophie put her finger to her mouth, gasping. "Oh my goodness! Y'know, I never thought that. Well, Harley _did_ find a funny thing to say with my initials, one time. Anyway, she just calls me sweetie pie, so I guess that works, huh?" She burst into giggles again. "But, it's a pretty ironic, name, if ya ask me!"

"_Harley?_" gasped Barbara, managing to only pick out that specific detail from everything Sophie had said. The gears in her brain began ticking.

Tim stared at Sophie, almost gaping at her. He was getting lost in her eyes for the second time. "Hey_...you're_ the girl who was with the Joker and Harley the other night, aren't you?"

Sophie put both her hands behind her back, shyly. _"May-_be."

"I _knew_ it. I'd remember your eyes _anywhere,_" said Tim, with a little blush.

Barbara kicked Tim in the leg, hard. "Listen...um...Sweetie. If you're in cahoots with the Joker and Harley Quinn, you're in way, _way_ over your head. They are definite bad news. _Trust_ me."

Sophie innocently put one of her fingers to her lip took a step closer to them. "You _really_ think so?"

"We really know so," said Barbara, gently. "They're both some of the scummiest scum in all of Gotham City.

Sophie's face suddenly turned angry, and she stepped back from them. "Well, it doesn't matter what _you_ say, _Bratgirl_. If I could, I'd be _just_ like Harley. She's already taught me lots of things. Here, I'll show ya!"

Before either Barbara or Tim knew what was happening, Sophie reached inside her bag and pulled out what looked liked little gum balls, colored just like the dots on her costume.

"What're you gonna do with _those?_" Tim scoffed. "Blow bubbles at us? That's _hilarious!"_

Sophie smiled cutely and pulled out a small gas mask, placing it over her face. "Oh, I bet you'll be laughing soon enough with my special, sweet gum balls. Here, have a taste!"

The next thing they knew, Sophie tossed the balls towards them. Upon impact of the ground, they exploded with thick green smoke. She had borrowed a bottle of the Joker's toxin and had made her own tiny toxin balls.

Barbara gasped, grabbing Tim's arm. "Be careful, that's Joker Toxin! Don't breathe it in! Watch out!"

Barbara and Tim were quite helpless once the Joker Toxin had surrounded Sophie, and she quickly climbed up the grapple rope. On her way up, she tossed a few more grenades down towards them, leaving them no choice but to dive out of the way in order to avoid them.

Coughing and gasping from the grenade smoke, Barbara and Tim both ran outside just as the police arrived. Once the Joker toxin had been released inside the bank, neither one could risk breathing it in. They looked up on the roof, grapple guns at the ready, but Sophie had disappeared just as fast as she'd arrived. Vanished without a trace.

"Batgirl, Robin, what happened?" cried an officer, urgently. "Who did this?"

_"Sweetie Pie,"_ Barbara said, through angrily, gritted teeth. Tim answered at the same time, although dreamily, with stars in his eyes.

* * *

><p>Harley nervously paced back and forth in the hideout. It was the the second morning Sophie had been missing, and she didn't know what to do. Bud and Lou whined as they saw the distressed look on their mother's face. "That's it," she said, finally. "I can't take it anymore. I gotta go look for her...even if I dunno where to start!"<p>

"Uh, Harley," began Rock, from behind the newspaper he was reading.

"Shut it, Rock. You're not stopping me!" Harley yelled, loudly. "I've made up my mind. I'm going!"

"But, _Harley,"_ said Bugs, waving the newspaper at her. He pointed to an article he had just read. "If you just-"

"Oh _no_ you don't!" cried the Joker, entering the room. He had heard Harley's rant and wasn't standing for it. "What did I tell you before, punkin' pie? You're going to stay _put_. Knowing you, you'll lead the Batsquad right to our front door while you're out on a wild goose chase. I mean, who _knows_ where that little brat, is, right now, anyway?"

_"I_ do!" said Sophie, as she kicked the front door open, breathlessly. She dragged her heavy duffel bag into the hideout, struggling but smiling. It was so stuffed full she could barely carry it, after having used all her strength the previous night. She was still dressed in her costume, and although exhausted from lugging her loot all around Gotham, she was still full of energy.

"Oh, sweetie! I was worried _sick_ about you!" Harley cried, running over to her, her heart filled with relief. She paused when she noticed Sophie's new get-up. "What on Earth are you _wearing?_"

"And _where_ on Earth _were_ you?" Joker asked with interest, putting his hand to his chin. as if in thought.

Sophie hugged Harley with a little giggle. "Geez, Mister Joker. Don't ya read the paper?"

Rock and Bugs handed their papers over to the Joker. He snatched them up and began reading out loud from an article. "Adding to the string of crimes that have been plaguing downtown Gotham the past few days, the biggest robbery came last night, when Gotham City Bank was robbed of a quar..._a_ _quarter of a million dollars_, by a pint-sized rogue calling herself...Sweetie Pie?"

Sophie groaned and unzipped her duffel. The money which she had stuffed inside popped out all over the floor like a fountain. "I dunno how much that is, but it _sure_ felt like a lot, especially after I had to run from Bratgirl and Birdbrain last night carrying it!"

Harley's mouth fell open in pure shock. "_You_ robbed a bank? _Alone?_"

Sophie giggled. "Yeah! I mean, Mister Joker said he needed more money for his plan, right? I just wanted to help out."

Harley was still in shock. "But...but _how?_"

Sophie shrugged. "You got me lots of books, remember? I had lots of time to read and study electronics and how to use them. Like the electronics in security systems. I _am_ pretty smart, sometimes." She giggled, again. "And I uh...just...borrowed some stuff from Mister Joker, and then I broke open the door to the bank vault. Oh yeah, but first I had to rewire the security system. Um, but, that was _after_ I robbed a fabric store and broke into a sewing factory to make my new costume, I mean."

Harley felt dizzy after hearing what her tiny friend had accomplished in such a short time. "I-I don't believe it!"

Sophie smiled. "Well, _believe_ it! If you want, _you_ could be _my_ side-kick, Harley. I think I could train you to keep up with me." She burst into giggles as Harley gaped at her.

The Joker looked at Sophie, his hand again on his chin. "Y'know, Sweets," he said after awhile, slowly putting his hand on Sophie's shoulder with a sly grin on his face. "I've had a sudden change of heart. I think there's room for you in this gang, after all. And we're gonna see just what you're _really_ made of."


	6. Putting Plans into Action

The Joker was one to keep his word. Just as he had promised, Sophie was included in their routine robberies and heists without delay. Just as the Joker had secretly hoped and anticipated, Sophie's tiny stature and lightning-fast agility came in handy when sneaking under laser beams and through small places. She was an expert, and it seemed that almost nothing could keep her out. He had planned to put her on some test runs to see how she fared, and she had exceeded his expectations. Now that Sophie was able to aid Harley, the Joker could even take a backseat to the crimes and really become the ringleader, shouting orders and insults to his two henchgirls from the safety of their car, or even via radio. Even if Sophie did have knack for being on the clumsy side, Joker knew that in a way, Sophie was their secret weapon. Many times, her innocent look and playful demeanor were like that of Baby Doll, and it always threw their gullible victims off. Out of costume, Sophie could simply distract the unsuspecting people by sweet talking them, all the while swiping their wallets or other items of value right from under their noses. She proved to be a divine asset for their gang...something Joker refused to admit out loud.

One afternoon after one of their many succesful jobs, Sophie happily dug her hands deep into the piles of stolen bills and diamonds which had been strewn all over the hideout. She rained the bills down on her head, giggling. Harley sat beside her, grinning widely as she watched the gleeful look on Sophie's face.

"Wow, this is the most fun I've ever had in my whole _life!_ Who knew breaking the law could be so much _fun!_" said Sophie in an excited rush, barely able to breathe. "Hey, what're we gonna _do_ with all this stuff? And when are we gonna get more? How much money do we have, anyway? Oh, I just _love_ all the pretty, sparkly, shiny diamonds!" Sophie held up two tiny diamonds over her eyes and stared up at the Joker. She burst into giggles again as his face become distorted through the inside of the gems.

The Joker snatched the diamonds away and raised his hand as if to slap Sophie. She gasped and cowered back, but the Joker suddenly softened and instead of a slap, he gave her a gentle pat on the top of her head. "Patience, Sweets. I'd say one more big job and we'll just about have the amount I need. Then you can steal pretty, sparkly, shiny diamonds until your little heart explodes!"

Both Harley and Sophie's eyes widened with excitement and they squealed joyfully. They both shared a love for shiny diamonds and anything sparkly, and they couldn't wait for their chance to steal more...especially ones they wouldn't have to fork over to someone else.

"Soon we'll have enough money to put my plan into action," said Joker, turning stiff. His voice changed into an angry mumble. "His price isn't _cheap,_ after all."

_"Whose_ price isn't cheap, Mister Joker?" Sophie asked wide-eyed, dropping the jewels she'd had in her hands. "What're you gonna buy, anyway? Are you gonna buy something _big?_"

The Joker patted her head again, this time a little harder after each word he spoke. "Don't you worry your pretty little head about what I'm buying, darling. _You_ just worry about helping Harley get that precious Ocean Sapphire diamond tonight, alright? And this time, _don't_ trip over your own two feet like a complete idiot, or I'll dispose of you like I should have done a long time ago!"

Sophie flinched under the Joker's harsh words and loud tone, but blushed anyway. She had done just that a few months ago when they'd tried to rob Gotham City bank. She and Harley had almost gotten away with the money...loads of it, in fact, but Batman had foiled their plans by showing up. As Sophie was running from him, she'd lost her balance and tripped, causing Harley to fall also. The only way they'd escaped without being caught was by using the bag full of money as a weapon. Needless to say, the Joker wasn't too pleased with the news that Sophie's clumsiness had caused them to lose the money, and Sophie knew she was lucky she still had her head attached to her body at that very moment. She may have been quick on her feet, but she sure wasn't stable on them.

"Oh, don't worry, Mister Joker. We got this one in the bag," said Sophie with a grin, putting her arm around Harley's waist. "It's gonna be fool-proof tonight!"

"That's right, Puddin'. We'll handle it, no problem!" Harley said. "You just leave everything to your two favorite henchgals!"

"Leave everything to you two, hm? _That's_ what worries me," Joker mumbled, shaking his head at his two bumbling henchgirls. "How in the _world_ did I get saddled with two bubble heads like _you?_"

Sophie giggled. "Well, I guess you just got lucky!"

Later that night, bats flew by as Harley and Sophie carefully climbed up the side of the museum building. Harley gasped and angrily swatted the bats away from them.

"Go on, shoo! _Stupid_ bats," Harley cried in an angry whisper. "_Sheesh_, even bats who aren't Batman are trying to get in our way!"

Sophie giggled quietly as they finally made their way to the top. "Y'know, each time we do this, it gets easier and easier! I' guess I _am_ a pretty good criminal after all, aren't I, Harley?"

Harley grinned and worked on getting the window on the roof open. "Yeah honey, you sure are. I think we make a pretty good team. B-Man and Birdbrain can kiss our a...uh..._tushies_." Harley felt it morally wrong to swear in front of Sophie. Even if Sophie _was_ a criminal, she was still just a kid, after all.

Harley jacked the window open with ease, and in a flash, both she and Sophie slid down a rope to the floor. Once inside, Sophie hugged her arms close to her chest and gulped as she walked around. Each night job they did made Sophie nervous, simply because she was terrified of the dark. At least when she had robbed Gotham City Bank alone, there had been light inside. Now, it seemed to Sophie that the Joker planned all their jobs to be in the darkest places in Gotham, and she hated it.

"Oh, I _wish_ it wasn't so dark in here," Sophie mumbled, looking around, her eyes wide with fright. "I hate hate _hate_ the dark!" She gulped loudly. "I always think something's gonna just reach out and-"

Suddenly, Sophie felt two fingers poke her in her ticklish sides. She squeaked loudly and started to run away as fast as she could. Harley burst out laughing and grabbed her in a tight hug before she could get very far.

"Hey, don't worry, cutie! It's just me! There's nothing in here but stinky ol' diamonds," said Harley, grinning. "Look, the faster we find the one we're looking for, the faster we'll get outta here, okay?"

Sophie nodded, still clutching onto Harley. Her heart was still beating at rapid pace from her earlier scare. She finally released her grip, and they both walked around the museum, carefully looking for the Ocean Sapphire diamond. They saw many other valuable jewels and were itching to grab them, but they knew they had to get the one Joker had sent them for.

After searching and searching but finding nothing, Harley exhaled, loudly. She was getting impatient already. "Y'know, I think we'll cover more ground if we split up. How's about it?" She suggested. "You go one way, and I'll go the other?"

The moment the words left Harley's mouth, Sophie grabbed her companion's arm and held on, her eyes wide with fright. "If you think I'm letting you leave me even for a _second_, you really _are_ crazy!"

Harley smiled and shook her head, having already expected that answer. She knew there was no helping her fearful little friend. "Okay, okay. Siamese Twins it is."

Harley knew perhaps the situation was better this way. Maybe with Harley there to keep an eye out for her, Sophie wouldn't accidentally trigger alarms like she'd been known to do in the past. They rounded another corner, and their blue eyes got even bluer once they saw the bright sapphire glow of the elegant Ocean Sapphire diamond.

"_Woooow!_" They said together, breathlessly. They practically drooled at the sight of it. Neither girl had ever seen such a beautiful blue diamond as that one, and they almost couldn't believe it.

"Oh, are you _sure_ we gotta give this to Mister Joker, Harley?" Sophie said. "It's so..._pretty!_"

Harley snapped out of her trance the moment Sophie mentioned crossing her puddin'. "Of _course_ we gotta give it to him, honey. Trust me, the best side of Mister J to be on is his _good_ one. He's counting on us, remember?"

Sophie put her finger to her lip as she noticed the dozens of bright red laser beams guarding the diamond. "Yeah well, I hope he knows how to count pretty high...'cause I've never seen _anything_ with that many laser beams around it. I dunno if I can squeeze through them without touching one of them!"

Harley bit her lip, nervously. Sophie was right, the beams were shining just as close together as possible. "I don't suppose you have any special, extra-jumpy cheerleading moves in your repertoire, do ya?"

Sophie shook her head, sadly. "I don't think so." She paused for a moment, then gasped. "Oh, wait! I _got_ it!"

Sophie's bright idea was simple, and she explained it in detail to Harley. She'd cross to the other side of the room, do an incredibly difficult tumbling move she'd once had to do at a competition, and Harley could throw her up into the air and she'd flip over and perfectly land on top of the glass display case, completely missing the alarm beams.

It of course, was all easier said than done. As Sophie cart-wheeled and front hand-springed over to Harley, Harley felt a tickle in her nose, and sneezed just as Sophie flipped over to her. Harley threw her up into the air as instructed, but the sneeze had thrown Sophie off, and instead of landing perfectly onto the display case, she crashed right into it. The force knocked over the entire display like a Lego tower, and the glass shattered into thousands of tiny pieces as it thundered to the floor. The alarms blared as loudly as they possibly could have. Sophie just stared, wide-eyed at the bright blue diamond which lay between the shards of glass. She was completely mesmerized by its beauty and couldn't move.

"Come on, sweetie! Grab it and let's get outta here!" Harley hissed, snatching Sophie by her arm just as Sophie grabbed the diamond and shoved it into her bag.

Little did they know that Barbara and Tim had already been staking out a few hot spots they knew were at risk of a break in, and had arrived at that very museum. Just after Harley and Sophie dashed to their hanging ropes, Barbara and Tim crashed through the doors in a flurry of capes.

"Hey, you two stop right there!" cried Barbara, pointing her rope-gun towards them, ready to fire.

"In your _dreams,_ Bratgirl!" Harley cried, as she climbed up her rope.

Barbara shot her gun, and ropes shot out of it, spinning wildly. Unfortunately, she missed Sophie by just an inch, and she groaned in annoyance.

Sophie giggled as she continued to climb up her rope. "Hey, you better learn to _aim_ next time!" As she climbed up, she reached into her pocket and pulled out a few more of her tiny bombs. Tim and Barbara were ready this time, though.

Tim shot up his grapple gun right beside Sophie, and Barbara did the same.

"Oh, come _on!_" Tim cried, climbing almost as fast as Sophie was. "Those little toxin bombs are getting a bit _old,_ don't ya think?" He quickly put on a tiny black gas mask and continued to climb up.

"That's what _you_ think," Sophie giggled. She waved goodbye after she kissed the air and blew it towards him.

Tim smiled, love-struck, but was caught off guard by the two tiny toxin bombs Sophie tossed down. They landed on the ground with a thud, making Tim chuckle. He laughed at the fact Sophie's bombs were complete useless duds.

As Sophie and Harley reached the top of the building, they saw police cars had already assembled around them, but they both just grinned widely. Before Tim and Barbara could do anything else, the toxin bombs suddenly exploded. Tim had been wrong when he'd made his snide remark to Sophie. They were in fact _not_ Sophie's simple toxin bombs, but tiny powerful grenades. The explosion was a strong one, and it knocked Tim and Barbara from their grapple ropes. They shot backwards and came crashing down into a few other artifact displays. Harley and Sophie laughed from the roof after seeing the effects of Sophie's bombs.

"See ya later, _suckers!_" Harley yelled with a laugh. She and Sophie slapped a high-five and dashed away with ease.

Barbara angrily kicked one of the displays in a fit of tantrum, but Tim just sighed, dreamily.

"Oh, what a _girl!_" He said, his eyes glazed over. It seemed that every time he thought about Sophie, his heart began beating as fast as it could, and he could do nothing to stop it.

* * *

><p>With Bruce overseas on business, Barbara and Tim really had their hands full this time. No matter how fast they were, Harley and Sophie were just that much faster. This frustrated Barbara more than anything, and she angrily banged away at the computer in the Batcave after another almost-capture a few nights later. Tim watched with interest as Barbara clinked the keys with great force, her face screwed in anger.<p>

"Uh, are you okay?" Tim asked, nervously. "You..look like your head is gonna explode all over the floor." He bit his lip, nervously. "Should I...get some paper towels just in case?"

Barbara shut her eyes tightly and rubbed her temple. "It's Sweetie Pie. Who _is_ she...and _why_ is she with those two maniacs? It's driving me _insane!_ I mean, neither Harley or the Joker seem very parental-like. I just don't _get_ it!"

"Well, from what I've seen, she's probably a little younger than me," Tim remarked. "But, she can't be any girl at my school. Trust me, I've already checked _loads_ of times." After he spoke, he found himself blushing a shade of pink in his cheeks. "Out of curiosity to finding out who she could be, I mean."

Suddenly, they heard a soft buzzing sound coming from the computer. It was Bruce, making an internet call. Barbara answered quickly.

"Hey, I got your messages. All ten of them," said Bruce, trying to hide his amusement. "How's it going with discovering the identity of our mystery girl?"

Barbara's face turned red with anger. "It's not going _anywhere_. Not only that, but we're _sure_ the Joker's got some big plan up his sleeve, we just don't know _what._ We don't even know where he _is,_ for that matter. It seems like we'd have better luck of winning the Powerball than running into him."

"I could always cancel this trip and come back to help..." said Bruce, his voice trailing off. "If you think the Joker's got something really serious planned, I mean."

Tim jumped in, defensively. He hated the fact that Bruce thought he and Barbara couldn't handle things while he was away. "No no, were fine. Barb's just extra moody and stressed 'cause Harley and S.P. gave us the run-around for like, the _tenth_ time already. Man, she's so..._amazing!_"

Bruce raised his eyebrow. "_Oh?_ Should I be looking for a tux for the wedding between you and Sweetie Pie, or what?"

Barbara managed to laugh as Tim blushed bright red.

"Listen," Bruce said, turning a bit more serious. "Have you thought about checking with any of the local orphanages around, or searching in the missing children database? That might shed a little light into the first part of your problem. As for the second part, I'll be back as soon as I can. Just promise me you'll call Dick or our friends in Metropolis if things get too out of control. Don't get yourselves in over your heads because of your pride."

The wheels in Barbara's head began to turn after listening to Bruce's advice. "Sure sure, we'll call them if we need them. Don't worry about us. Just take your time." They finished the call, and Barbara jumped up, her energy rejuvenated now that she had a plan and could work on putting it into action. "Oh, I dunno _why_ I didn't think of this beforehand. Come on, we've got some orphanages to visit!"

* * *

><p>As Barbara drove to their destinations, Tim clinked around on their laptop. He figured he could search through the online database of missing children in hopes of a discovery, but found nothing even remotely close to matching Sophie's description. Although after their second orphanage visit with nothing to show for it, he was beginning to get frustrated.<p>

"This is _useless,_ y'know?" Tim said, groaning. "Those women thought we were _nuts_ for asking so many questions like that. It's a shame we just can tell them, 'Hey, if we're totally honest, we're just looking for the identity of one of your orphans who runs around with two murdering psychopaths.'"

Barbara sighed heavily. "Well at _this_ point, I'm almost willing to go for it."

Barbara pulled up to the third orphanage, Little Gotham Home for Girls. She was beginning to wonder if they were just going to end up back at square one again. _If she's not a missing child and she's not a missing orphan...where did she come from?_ Barbara couldn't help thinking.

"Come on, Tim," she said, shaking the negative thoughts from her mind. "Third times the charm, after all."

Barbara and Tim met with the orphanage director and made pleasant small talk for over an hour. Having Commissioner Gordon's daughter come calling was something of a small honor for many people, and the director thoroughly enjoyed it. After awhile, Tim couldn't take it anymore. He was incredibly bored with their activities which had led them nowhere. He was ready to find out answers and he wanted them now. They still had three more Gotham orphanages to visit if this one proved useless, and he was antsy. He cleared his throat and interrupted Barbara's time-wasting story of the year she traveled to Tibet.

"Excuse me, Ms. Robin," Tim said, having been slightly amused by her surname. "Sorry to interrupt Ms. Gordon's most _interesting_ story, but the real reason we're here is to ask about any information you have about a runaway girl about my age. Have any of the kids gone missing in the last couple of years?"

Ms. Robin was taken aback by such an abrupt question, and she almost dropped her tea-cup. "I beg your pardon?"

"Uh," Barbara began, her face flushing. "He's right, if I'm completely honest with you. I... have a college essay about runaway children and I...I was trying to find statistics and do research of runaway orphans." Barbara grinned widely, wanting to slap herself for the stupidity of her reasoning. "B-but I have always admired and respected the kind of work you do. It takes a special type of person to work with orphaned children. A person has to have a strong heart."

Ms. Robin smiled warmly at receiving such a compliment. "Thank you for such nice words, Ms. Gordon, and I must say, you're writing about a sensitive subject for sure. I'm afraid you've picked the wrong orphanage to study, though."

Tim and Barbara frowned, their hope deflating. They couldn't believe they were still nowhere in their search.

"_Really?_" Tim cried out, almost in agony.

"Really. Our statistics probably aren't of any interest to you. We are a small orphanage, after all. Only three girls have run away in the past ten years or so, and two have been found and adopted."

"And the third?" asked Tim.

Ms. Robin's eyes got a little sad. "She ran away about...two years ago."

"Oh, really?" said Barbara, sitting up straighter in her chair. "What's her name, if you don't mind my asking?"

"I don't mind at all, dear," Ms. Robin replied. She went to her filing cabinet and started to rummage through files. "The little girl's name is Sophie. She was just the most adorable little thing when she came to us at four years-old. I had just started working here as an assistant to our previous director, and Sophie was one of the first little children who really caught my eye. She wasn't your typical four year-old. She had been through so much in her short little life, but she still had a special sweetness about her." Ms. Robin held up a file, opened it, but closed it again. It was obviously not the file she needed. As Ms. Robin spoke, Barbara listened with more intensity than she'd imagined to have. "Her mother was involved in many dangerous and illegal things, and got herself mixed up with the wrong crowd. It was the kindest thing she could have done, excuse me for saying it, by abandoning her daughter like she did."

Tim scuffed from his chair, remembering his own father and his troubles and mix ups with the wrong people. He knew very well how tough it was to grow up around that.

Ms. Robin found the file she was searching for, and pulled out a color photo. She brought the file and the photo back to her desk. She held the folder in her hands, almost as if she were afraid to let it go, but she and handed the photo to Tim. Once he had a look at the picture, he gasped loudly. He thrust the picture to Barbara, who couldn't help but gasp as well. The picture may have been taken about two years ago, but the kid in the photo the same golden blond hair, deep blue eyes, freckles ,and dimples they undoubtably recognized. They knew this girl, Sophie, was none other than their Sweetie Pie.

Barbara gazed at the picture. Sophie seemed to be happy. "Ms. Robin, forgive me for pressing, but what happened? What would make a little kid think that living on the streets would be better than living here, with people to take care of her?"

"Yeah," Tim had to pipe up, "and at least stay for the chance of getting adopted."

"Well," said Ms. Robin, sitting back down at her desk. "Sophie was truly a sweet, sweet kid, and she was incredibly smart...but she was never really happy here. I mean, most children in orphanages aren't _happy_ to be there, but they adapt and adjust...and the lucky ones _do_ get adopted." Ms. Robin sighed a little. "Sophie just couldn't find her place anywhere, it seemed. I saw her constantly try to make friends with the other children, but all they did was bully and tease her not only because she was so small for her age, but because of a terrible misfortune she seemed to have. Sophie was always the first to be adopted...and the first to be sent back again."

Barbara gasped, loudly, her heart suddenly aching. "Oh, _please_ tell me it's not true."

Ms. Robin smiled faintly, as if she understood Barbara's reaction all too well. "I'm afraid it is, Ms. Gordon. The poor, poor child was passed back and forth between so many families throughout her five years with us...I lost count after the fiftieth time. None of the families wanted her after finding out the type of person her mother was. It was like she was blacklisted. You can imagine the kind of emotional stress it must be on a young child, to think you're gaining a loving family so many times, and then be shoved back again like you mean nothing." Ms. Robin opened the folder and read off a few of the notes inside. "_After having the child, Sophie Gabriela Pieska, age 5, in our home for five months, we have come to enjoy her sunny disposition. Although after learning of her background, we've decided perhaps our home just isn't the best place for her_." Ms. Robin turned the page as Barbara and Tim gaped at her. "_The minor female child, Sophie Gabriela Pieska, celebrated her 7th birthday and her adoption day with our family, which consists of two parents, a pet cat, and our two biological sons, ages 9 and 10. Our sons were thrilled to have a baby sister to take care of. Although Sophie fits well with our family and is thriving, after further investigation and information of Sophie's background, we ask to have her removed from our home as soon as possible_." Ms. Robin sighed. "It was the same story all over again. They took her in, liked her, their own children liked her, she got along great with everyone. But once they got wind of who her mother was and the things she'd been involved in, that was it."

Barbara was at a loss for words upon hearing Sophie's story, and she even felt her eyes become misty. Tim took the story close to heart because he knew all too well what it felt like to having a parent with a tarnished name.

"It was truly unfair for Sophie. I believe that just because someone is surrounded by bad people, it doesn't mean they'll become bad _themselves_, but those prospecting parents thought otherwise." Ms. Robin suddenly turned very sad. "Then one night, just after her 9th birthday, she just vanished. The only thing she left was a scribbled note, explaining she was tired of waiting to be loved by people who would never be able to love her. She wanted to live on her own without love and without a family. I worried so much for her, all of us working here were just devastated. She was so sweet, so cute, and so small. We knew the kinds of people living in Gotham City, and we were petrified of the thought of her being all alone. We searched and searched for over a year and a half, but Sophie had made it very clear in her note that she didn't want to be found and he had intended to be on her own. As time went on, we just had to assume she was just that good at hiding, or that she was..." Ms. Robin's face fell.

Barbara smiled a little. "I'm sure wherever Sophie is, she's perfectly fine. I must say after speaking with you, it's clear to me that you care very much for the children here, Ms. Robin. The children are so very lucky to have you."

Ms. Robin smiled. "You're very kind, Ms. Gordon." As Barbara handed the photo back to her, another small photograph fell out of Sophie's file. Ms. Robin noticed the photo, picked it up, and smiled. "Oh, this picture was taken the day Sophie arrived at our orphanage all those years ago." She chuckled. "Oh, she was still eating that ice cream one of the officers had given her before they brought her here."

Barbara's stomach dropped as if she had just jumped out of an airplane. "I-ice cream?" she gasped, the words barely able to escape her mouth.

Ms. Robin handed the picture to Barbara, who all but yanked it from her. The moment Barbara saw the picture, she gasped loudly and dropped the photo to the ground like it was on fire. Barbara was suddenly jolted back to a memory seven years in the past, but she remembered as clearly as if it were yesterday.

**_A thirteen year-old Barbara and her father exited the theater, arms linked._**

**_"Did you like the play, daddy?" Barbara asked, her eyes lighting up. "It was so romantic, wasn't it? I can't wait to fall in love, too!"_**

**_Jim cleared his throat, nervous that his teenage daughter had thoughts of anything romantic. He wasn't quite ready for that, yet. "Y-you thought it was romantic? Oh, dear."_**

**_As they walked down the sidewalk, they ran into a few other in-uniform officers from the Gotham City Police Department. Barbara greeted them politely, then left them to chat with her father. Nearby, she noticed a little girl sitting alone on the curb, her face resting in her hands. Barbara slowly walked over to her and said hello. The little girl gasped, jumping up from her place on the curb, her wavy blonde pigtails bouncing._**

**_Barbara couldn't help but smile as she looked at the little Shirley Temple-like kid. "So, how old are you, honey?"_**

**_The little girl grinned and proudly held up four fingers._**

**_"Four years old already?" Barbara gasped, in pretend shock. "Oh, you're almost a grown up!"_**

**_The little girl giggled loudly at being called almost a grown up. Barbara couldn't help but grin, also._**

_**"What are you doing out here? Where's your Mommy and Daddy?" asked Barbara.**_

_**The girl shrugged her shoulders, her eyes dropping, sadly. "I dunno."**_

_**Barbara grew concerned. "What? You're here all by yourself?"**_

_**The little girl nodded slowly. That was enough for Barbara. She turned towards her father and eagerly shouted to him. "Daddy, come over here, quick!"**_

**_Jim and the other officers stopped their conversation and walked over to the two girls. The little girl suddenly turned shy upon seeing the others, and she took hold of Barbara's hand for comfort._**

**_Barbara smiled as the girl held her hand. Barbara gently squeezed it a bit, just to give her a little reassurance. "Daddy, this little kid is all alone. We have to do something."_**

**_One of the officers bent down on one knee. "What's your name, little girl?" he asked._**

**_"Sphhee," mumbled the girl, staring at the ground, nervously._**

**_"Samantha?" asked Jim, scratching his head._**

**_"Summer?" tried another officer._**

**_The little girl was silent and closed her eyes in defiance. _**

**_"Well, that's okay, honey. We'll figure it out later. Are you lost?" asked Jim, with a smile._**

**_The girl opened her eyes and shook her head, vigorously. "No, I'm not lost! I...just gotta sit here and wait for my Mommy to come back to get me. She told me to sit right there." The girl pointed back to the place she had originally been sitting. "She said she was gonna park the car, and then..and then we'd get some ice cream."_**

**_Barbara still held onto the little girl's hand. "Have you been waiting here a long time?"_**

**_The girl nodded. "See, I woke up in the morning at six o'clock, and I knew it was six o'clock 'cause I know my numbers and I know what a six looks like. So, then Mommy yelled at me and told me not to make a peep of noise until at least 8 o'clock if I knew what was good for me, 'cause she'd had a rough night like I wouldn't believe. So, ate some cereal for breakfast, it was chocolate and had rainbow marshmallows in it. Then I put my bowl into the sink because if I forgot, Mommy would maybe scream at me and throw the bowl into the wall like she did the last time. Um, and then I had to go pee-pee, so I went, and after that I washed my hands, and...and I watched some funny cartoons. Then Mommy came out of her room and said we were coming to get ice cream. So we came here and she told me to wait for her to find a parking place somewhere. But, now I've been waiting out here for a million hours, I think." The little girl sighed and took deep breath. "I guess there's just not any parking places in Gotham City!" _**

**_The officers looked at each other, worriedly. This wasn't going to be a pretty one to resolve._**

_**One of the officers bent down to her level, again. "Does your Mommy have a cell phone?"**_

_**The girl's eyes lit up. "Yeah, she has a blue one!"**_

_**The officer smiled. "And do you know the number?"**_

_**The girl grinned. "Yes!"**_

_**A second officer took out a pen and paper, eager to write.**_

_**"One, two, three..." began the little girl.**_

_**"One, two, three," repeated the officer as he wrote.**_

_**"Four, five, six..." said the girl.**_

_**"Four, five...six," said the officer, looking at the others. He could see where this was going.**_

_**"Seven, eight, nine, ten!" cried the girl, triumphantly. "There! I know all my numbers! Isn't that amazing?"**_

_**Barbara smiled. "That is really, really amazing."**_

**_The officer who had written the numbers cleared his throat and checked his watch. "It's almost 6 o'clock, Jim. She's been here all day. We better take her down to the station and see what we can find out. If no mother shows up, we can take her down to that orphanage on 59th street. My sister in-law runs the place, and it's wonderful."_**

**_Jim nodded, smiling as he turned to the little girl and Barbara. "Listen honey, would you like some ice cream?"_**

**_The girls' eyes sparkled. "Oh, yes, please!"_**

**_Barbara held her hand as her father bought an ice cream for her. Then the officers told the girl she was coming with them to the police station and they'd try to help her. The girl was hesitant to let go of Barbara's hand, but eventually, she agreed. Before getting into the police car, the little girl ran to Barbara and hugged her as tight as she could, careful not to ruin her ice cream cone. As the officers closed the door, Barbara waved to the little girl with a huge smile on her face. As they drove away, Barbara could faintly hear the little girl shout with a giggle, "SOPHIE!"_**

Back in reality, Barbara still heard the little voice ring out in her head. _"Sophie,"_ She said out loud in a daze, as she picked up the photo on the ground.

Tim looked at Barbara as if she'd just grown another head. Ms. Robin was also very, very confused at Barbara's reaction upon seeing the oldest photograph.

"I'm...sorry I couldn't be of more help to your paper, Ms. Gordon," Ms. Robin said, carefully taking the picture back.

Barbara stood up, still in a complete state of shock. "Oh please don't apologize, Ms. Robin. You've done _so_ much more than you think."


	7. A Nice Business Meeting with Friends

After cleverly obtaining the Ocean Sapphire diamond, the Joker had to give praise to his two blonde-headed partners in crime. The two girls were absolutely giddy to receive positive words from him, and they could hardly stand it. Sophie definitely wasn't used to the Joker saying a nice word about her, so she was especially pleased. She felt that finally she really felt like part of their gang.

One evening, the Joker dragged them all down to an old abandoned warehouse. Harley and Sophie stood anxiously beside him. Sophie gripped tightly to Harley's arm, a place she seemed to be stuck permanently (greatly amusing Harley.) Neither Harley nor Sophie had any idea just who they were meeting, but they waited in anticipation. As Bugs and Rock wheeled carts of huge metal containers inside, Sophie gasped loudly, her eyes lighting up with excitement.

"Hey, Mister Joker, are those things for blowing up balloons? Are we gonna have a party? I _love_ parties!" Sophie cried, happily. "Can we get cupcakes? Huh? Can we?"

The Joker laughed as Bugs and Rock wheeled more carts into the building. "Oh, we're gonna have a party, alright, Sweets. Just not the kind _you're_ thinking of, I'm afraid. There's no helium in those babies!"

Bugs and Rock finished their duty, and Joker all but kicked them out of the warehouse. It was bad enough he was stuck with Harley and Sophie, and he didn't want any other annoying distractions.

"What do ya think Mister Joker's gonna do, Harley?" Sophie whispered quietly. "I don't like it here, y'know. It's so... _dark."_

Harley smiled a little. "Aw, c'mon, sweetie. There's nothing scary around here. Except maybe Bugs and Rock's breath. _Yuk!_"

Sophie giggled loudly at Harley's joke, making the Joker glare angrily at her. She gasped and covered her mouth with her hand, trying to suppress her laughter, but she couldn't help it. She was still laughing as the front door of the building opened slowly. Dr. Jonathan Crane stepped inside as if he had materialized out of the thick, gray fog which lingered outside. Even the Joker knew calling such fiend "Jonathan Crane" was almost an insult to his current frightening appearance. Even someone as menacing as the Joker had to respect Scarecrow's persona. Harley gasped, happily, her smile widening to see a familiar face. Sophie gasped too, but out of pure shock at seeing a creature like the Scarecrow. It was like he stepped out of every nightmare she'd ever had, and she felt completely sick from fear just looking at him.

"Oh, hiya, Scarecrow!" Harley said, giving him a happy little wave. "Long time no see, huh? I shoulda known _you_ were involved if we're in creepy freaky place like this!"

"Nice to see you as well, Harley," said Scarecrow, glancing her way. He noticed Sophie holding on for dear life to Harley's arm. She was someone new he'd never met before. He liked meeting new people...especially ones who were as afraid as Sophie so clearly was. "Oh? And who is _this_ adorable little cherub you have here? Since when are you into babysitting sweet little children, Joker?" He asked, chuckling a little at the very idea of Joker as a doting father-figure.

"Oh, we're not babysitting, silly! She's part of the gang now," said Harley, proudly, squeezing Sophie's cheek with her free hand. "Our little sweetie pie is really useful!"

Scarecrow laughed again, laying his eyes onto Sophie. He loved that she was so terrified. He loved terror. "Useful, eh?"

Sophie looked in Scarecrow's black eyes, and felt all the color drain from her face. She knew had her face not already been painted, it would have been the same color it was at that time - completely white. Her heart beat wildly in her chest, and she held Harley so tightly she thought she'd pull her arm completely off. Scarecrow merely took one step towards them, and Sophie gasped in fear, moving away from him as fast as she could. She found herself running to the Joker, and even _she_ didn't know why. The Joker would just assume (and probably enjoy) _put_ Sophie in danger than protect her from it. Yet, with the Joker being a big, strong man, Sophie figured she'd try her chances at his heart being soft on a rare occasion. She hid behind him, eyes shut, holding his coat-tail. She wanted to shield herself from looking at the horrible thing known as Scarecrow.

The Joker laughed loudly, quite amused at the situation he was seeing. He'd never seen Sophie so terrified of anything before, and he quite enjoyed it. "Look at this, Scarecrow! You don't even have to poison her and she's already trembling in her tights!" He grabbed Sophie by her arm and thrust her in front of him. "Come on, Sweets. We don't have time for this! Quit fooling around!"

Joker angrily threw Sophie aside like a sack of potatoes. Luckily, Harley was able to catch her in her arms just before she crashed into heavy crates and boxes. Sophie wasted no time in running behind Harley this time, her eyes wide, and gasping in fear. She figured hiding behind someone was the safest place to be, even if she was still near the terrifying creature.

Harley reached around and took Sophie's arm, pulling her into a comforting hug. She felt awful seeing just how afraid her little Sophie was. "Oh, sweetie. Don't worry, okay? Don't worry," Harley said quietly, gently pushing Sophie's hair behind her ears. "He's on _our_ side, remember?"

Sophie couldn't stop her entire body from trembling, even as she watched the Scarecrow turn his back and sit at the table with the Joker, paying her no attention. Just the fact he was in the same room as she was made her blood run cold.

"Oh, Harley," Sophie whispered, her voice shaking."Can we get outta here, please? H-he's the scariest thing I've ever seen! I don't wanna be here anymore! Mister Joker can shoot me for all I care. I-I'm so scared!"

Harley bit her lip and looked at the Joker, who was whispering quietly with Scarecrow. Sophie continued to plead in whispers until Harley gently shushed her. "Oh, I'm sorry, cutie. I think we gotta stay put. The last thing we want is for B-Man to see us and come crashing this party. Actually, we should probably be on the lookout for more pint-sized spies on the roof, hm?"

Harley grinned and poked Sophie in her side, trying to get her to laugh. But Sophie was too afraid to feel a thing other than fear, and she just hugged tighter onto Harley. Harley smiled a little and began to stroke Sophie's hair, comfortingly.

"Look, sweetie, Scarecrow's in a costume, just like we are." Harley spoke gently and soothingly, much like a mother. "He's one of the good guys...well, you know what I mean. He's not gonna do anything to you, I promise! He's just doing some business talk with Mister J, that's all!" Harley tried to reassure Sophie as best she could, but she could tell Sophie was already much too afraid to listen to reason.

Suddenly, the Joker's quiet whispering turned louder and angrier. "You can't be _serious!_ Do you have _any_ idea how many jobs we already had to do just to get enough money for your fancy new toxin?" Joker cried out, angrily. "We got _exactly_ how much you told me!"

Scarecrow tapped his wooden stick on the ground, impatiently. "Joker, my friend. As you know, my products aren't exactly what you'd call, _cheap_. Especially not this latest one, which I'm very, very proud of, even if it _is _untested. If we're going to make this thing work to the degree in which you're talking, we've got to be realistic, here."

The Joker stood up from the table so fast, he knocked his chair over. "Are you trying to pull a fast one on me, Crane? This isn't the price we talked about!" He spat, boiling mad. "Do not mess with me, or you'll be _sorry!_"

Scarecrow calmly stood up from the table as well, making Sophie flinch even from a distance. "_I'll_ be sorry? Oh, I believe it is _you_ who would be the most sorry, my dear Joker. After all, combining both my toxin and yours is a very complicated chemical mixing, which requires complicated chemical mixers. If you want this plan to work, you shall play by my rules, and my rules alone."

Joker bawled up his fists in anger, gritting his teeth. "Don't be forgetting that it was _my_ brilliant idea to start with, Crow, and it was _my_ brilliant idea to pollute the subways and water supply with it!"

Harley gasped, loudly. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. "Oh, _really,_ Puddin'? So, _that_ was your plan all along? How totally _awesome!_"

Scarecrow chuckled and walked towards them. Sophie's heart began beating faster, and she shut her eyes as tight as she could, knowing there was nowhere she could run to escape the man she obviously feared the most.

"Oh yes, really," Scarecrow said, grinning, still amused at Sophie's reaction. "Why, with the combination of the Joker's laughing toxin and my new and improved fear toxin polluting the air and waterways of Gotham City, the entire population will be scared...silly. They'll all be absolutely driven mad by the mix. It actually is quite genius, if you ask me...which is why I was so surprised that the Joker thought it up in the first place."

Harley frowned a little after hearing such an insult. Scarecrow should have known better than to insult the Joker in the presence of Harley Quinn. "Hey, now wait just a minute, Scarecrow. Mister J is a _really_ clever guy. He's got lots of great ideas. Probably better than some of _yours,_ even,'' she said, defensively. "I mean, 'cause aren't scarecrows supposed to be _brainless_ anyway?"

Sophie wasn't sure if it was the fact she was so afraid and it impaired her judgement...or if Harley was just _that_ funny, but she found herself giggling at the "brainless" joke. As long as she was holding onto Harley, Sophie felt just a little braver. She was able to open her eyes, breathe a little easier, and even laugh, apparently.

Harley grinned after realizing the brilliance of her comedy. "Yeah, that _was_ a good one, huh?"

Sophie giggled again, this time a little louder. She stopped laughing though, when she noticed Scarecrow glaring directly at her. It felt like his glare was burning a hole right inside of her chest.

"You all seem to be lacking manners, Harley. You should teach the little one that it's not polite to laugh at someone like _me._" Scarecrow reached his bony finger out and caressed Sophie's cheeks, gently. She gasped loudly, feeling light-headed the moment his terrible fingers touched her face. He then ran his fingers down Sophie's hair, twirling one of her little pigtails around his finger. Sophie was completely frozen with fear, and could do nothing. Scarecrow fixed his gaze upon Sophie. ''I'm waiting for an apology, little angel."

"I...I..." Sophie gasped, barely able to breathe. Her tongue felt like it was completely coated in sawdust. Scarecrow stood, staring at her with his soulless eyes, and she felt faint. "I..I.." Sophie tried to speak, but her intense feeling of fear finally overcame her, and her eyes spilled over. She buried her face in Harley's shoulder, shaking, whimpering and crying softly.

"We're not finished talking, yet, sweetheart," Scarecrow said, his voice eerie, reaching out towards them.

Harley's heart couldn't take seeing Sophie so upset. She held her as tight as she could and shoved Scarecrow's hands away from them, the anger inside of her building. "Just lay off the kid already, ya _jerk!_"

In an instant, Scarecrow angrily grabbed Sophie by her tiny pigtails and jerked her head around to face him. Her eyes were wide with fear, and she was unable to move or speak. He touched her cheek again, staring directly at Harley while he did it...almost daring her to continue speaking. "You had better watch yourself, Harley. Don't forget with whom you've been insulting. Disrespect towards me is _not_ tolerated."

"You think I'm afraid of _you_, pal? You can't do a _thing_ to me. Thanks to Ivy, I'm immune to _any_ kinda crazy toxins you could come up with," said Harley, removing his hands off of Sophie once more. "Your stupid scare toxins would be nothing but a spray of warm ocean water to me. So, if you think I'm even the _least_ bit scared of your little medicines, you really _are_ just as dumb as you look!"

Scarecrow chuckled, which sent more shivers down Sophie's spine. Harley hadn't let up her grip around her, and she was thankful for it.

"Oh Harley, my dear, sweet little fool. My fear toxin isn't the only thing I know how to use to make someone suffer, you know," said Scarecrow. "So if I were _you,_ I would fear who needs to be feared before it's too late."

Harley glared at him, furiously, her fists clenched in anger. "Oh _yeah?_ Is that some kind of a _threat_, Puppet-Head?"

Scarecrow chuckled again. "Oh, I don't make threats, Miss Quinn. I make _promises_." He winked at Sophie, laughing again as she gasped and shut her eyes tightly. He turned his attention back to the Joker, who was still fuming beside them, too angry to breathe a word. "Now, back to the original plans, Joker. Are you in or out? I will not wait any longer for your decision."

Joker snapped the briefcase closed in a huff. "You only _pretend_ to be sane, my stuffed friend, but it has to be a lie. Only a _crazy_ person would dare change their price on me at the last minute. What if I told you that I'm taking our..._my_ money and leaving?"

"I'd say you're a bigger fool than I imagined. Don't you realize the _power_ of this plan?" Scarecrow said. "The only way your plan will work is with my new toxic gas fluid, and the only way to _get_ my new toxic gas fluid is to give me all the money I request."

Joker calmly walked towards the exit and waved his hand at Sophie and Harley. "I'm not paying this silly little sock puppet for anything. Forget my big plan. I've got a _million_ more. Come on, girlies! We're outta here!"

Sophie was more than willing to get out, and all but dragged Harley out by her arm. "Hey, we're right behind ya, Mister Joker!"

Scarecrow really lost his temper, then, and he slammed his staff down as hard as he could. "You can't walk out on a deal with _me!_ _No one_ has ever walked out on a deal with me! Do you hear me? _No one!_"

Harley turned around to face the angered Scarecrow, and mockingly blew a kiss at him. "Well, so it looks like we're gonna be the _first_ ones to walk out on a deal with you, huh?" She was having a ball teasing him."Are we gonna get some kinda trophy or something? I think we _should_! Maybe I'll even get it engraved! Anyway, it's _your_ loss, you poor, stuffed dummy. I guess what they say is true. Ya snooze, ya loose!" She laughed and stuck her tongue out at him, like a little child. "See ya sooner or later, Puppet-Head!"

Harley burst into giggles then, and Sophie, relieved to be getting out, laughed just as loudly as Harley. Unfortunately, Sophie was in such a hurry to leave, that she tripped over her own feet. She gasped, glancing once more at Scarecrow before scrambling to her feet and sprinting out the door. Scarecrow had watched it all, and he had stared after the gang for a moment. A slow smile came across his face, and he chuckled as evilly as anything.

"Don't worry, Miss Quinn. I have a good feeling we'll see each other much sooner than you think," Scarecrow said, quietly, the rage inside building. "You can _count_ on it."


	8. It's Just A Walk in the Park

Bright and early the next morning, the Joker had sprung something on Harley which caught her completely off-guard. He had decided he was taking a trip to Metropolis for reasons he didn't state, and had told her to mind her own business or she would be sorry. Harley had begged and begged and begged some more for the Joker to take her and Sophie along, but he had strongly refused and ordered them to stay in Gotham and let him work alone. The last thing he wanted was to have distractions.

After the girls had sent the Joker off, (and Sophie had comforted a sobbing Harley) she'd somehow convinced Harley to allow her an hour alone in the city, unmasked, for a little shopping. Seeing how upset Harley was about being separated from the Joker, Sophie had offered to teach Harley a hula routine she'd learned while on her cheerleading squad. It was fun and silly, and she knew it would cheer Harley up. On her shopping trip, Sophie wanted to get some authentic (or about as authentic as she could find) costumes for the lesson. She was relieved they didn't have to worry about the Joker getting angry about them goofing off so much, and she couldn't wait to have a bit of fun. At the same time, Sophie was nervous about leaving Harley alone (out of fear she'd try to hitchhike her way to Metropolis to find the Joker.) In the end, Sophie decided she really wanted a chance to go out alone. Harley wasn't thrilled about the idea, though. Sophie appreciated Harley's concern, but she also appreciated being trusted enough not to blow a job, even such a miniscule one as swiping silly little costumes. Sophie promised she wouldn't trip over herself or anything, and if Batman were to show up (which she highly doubted) she'd leave the loot and get out as soon as possible. Eventually, even if she didn't like it, Harley agreed.

"Oh, I _really_ hate this, y'know," said Harley, frowning as Sophie gleefully skipped down the street, already feeling free as a bird. _"Promise_ me you'll come back just as soon as you're finished, okay?"

Sophie grinned widely and threw her arms around Harley for a hug. "I _promise,_ Harley. I'll go to the store, do the job, and come back. I'll even _run_ back if it would make you feel better." Sophie giggled at the thought. Harley seemed to forget the huge scale of Sophie's first job as Sweetie Pie, but she knew Harley was just extremely overly protective, and in a way, it made Sophie feel secure. She'd never had anyone care about her as much as Harley did.

"It _would_ make me feel better, actually," Harley mumbled. She was hoping Sophie would change her mind about wanting to be alone. Harley trusted Sophie to do the right (wrong) thing, but it was the rest of Gotham City she didn't trust.

Sophie hugged the frowning Harley one last time, and sent her on her way, vowing to hurry, and assuring her that most likely, she'd be back within an hour, at the most. Sophie sighed with relief after Harley finally left. She realized she was in the city in the middle of the day, out of costume...just a normal citizen enjoying the warm day. She smiled to herself as she walked down the streets of Gotham, occasionally swinging her backpack around, her white sun dress blowing in the wind. She was wearing her lucky vest, so she knew she would be alright. Sophie really liked her city, aside from Batman, of course, and she liked to look and enjoy it when she wasn't in a getaway car traveling at high speeds. She walked through the park, looking at the pretty, blooming flowers in total bliss. Unfortunately, she wasn't looking where she was going and crashed right into another person, causing them both to fall to the ground in a jumbled heap.

"Oh, gosh, are you okay?" asked the person she'd crashed into. He quickly stood up and held his hand out to help Sophie up. He had to stop himself from gasping the moment he got a good look at her face, though.

Sophie giggled. "I'm fine, I'm so sorry, I _do_ know how to walk, last time I checked." Sophie looked at the boy, and she found herself blushing a little shade of pink. She thought the young, dark-haired boy was very cute. "My name's Sophie, by the way."

"I-I'm Tim," said Tim said, blushing also. He couldn't believe his good...or bad luck. The one chance he "catches" Sophie, they were both out of costume and in the middle of broad daylight.

Sophie smiled. "Timmy. I like it. Hey, I'm sorry to hit and run, but I really gotta go. I've got...a job to do."

Tim frowned a little. He had a good feeling he knew the type of job she was talking about, and he wanted to stall her as long as possible by any means possible.

Before Tim had the chance to speak once more, they heard another voice beside them. "Master Tim, are you alright? What a nasty fall you took." Alfred appeared beside them, a small smile on his face as he looked between a pink-faced Sophie and an even pinker-faced Tim. "And who's your graceful young friend, someone from school?"

Sophie smiled warmly and stuck out her hand to shake. "I'm Sophie. It's a pleasure to meet you, sir."

Alfred smiled wider. "My, what a polite young lady you have here, Master Tim. Might we invite her back to ours for a little visit? You two seem to get along swimmingly, or should I say, _crashingly."_ Alfred chuckled at his little joke.

_"Alfred!"_ Tim mumbled, both embarrassed for himself and for Alfred because of the horrible attempt at a joke.

Sophie giggled again. "That's very kind of you, Mister Alfred, but I really do have to go, now."

Tim bit his lip, not wanting to let Sophie out of his sight. He just needed something to distract her by, and he racked his brain for an idea. _"Ice cream!"_ He suddenly blurted out, his fists clenched in great enthusiasm.

Alfred and Sophie stared at him, oddly.

_"What?"_ asked Sophie, stifling back a giggle at the almost panicked look on Tim's face after his outburst.

"Uh...d-do you wanna get some ice cream?" Tim said, sheepishly. "There's a little shop close to the park we could go to. I-if you want, I mean."

Sophie smiled at Tim, taken aback by his charm. She knew she really shouldn't, though. After all, she had promised Harley to hurry back. But, something about this boy made her not mind her tiny bit of rebellious thoughts. "Yeah, okay. I love ice cream, actually."

If Tim's eyes could have turned into hearts, they would have at that moment. His heart was a-flutter at the thought of treating Sophie to ice cream cone and having more time to spend with her. As Sophie turned around, he whispered to Alfred. "Hey Alfred, can I borrow 10 bucks?"

Sophie and Tim sat outside on a park bench eating their ice cream, staring at the ducks as they swam in the pond. After telling Alfred to stop trying to make jokes in public, and thanking him for the money, Tim wanted to call Barbara and tell her that he'd found Sophie. He wanted to question Sophie and make her tell them the Joker's plans, and show them where they were hiding. He wanted to see Bruce's face when he found out that Tim and Barbara had taken down not one, not two, but _three_ villains at one time. He had _wanted_ to do all of that...but he didn't follow through with any of it. He and Sophie had talked together for quite some time, and with every word, every giggle, every sparkle of Sophie's deep blue eyes, Tim was completely and utterly mesmerized.

As they talked and laughed together, Sophie wondered how Tim would feel about her alter-ego. The idea made her chuckle on the inside. He'd probably freak out if he ever found out she was Sweetie Pie - one of the members of a dangerous gang trying to destroy Batman and his "family." Still, she shuddered to think what Harley would say to her spending hours with their enemy. This was the first time in years she'd spent any time with anyone her own age, and she was thoroughly enjoying it...but she knew their "friendship" had to end the moment the conversation finished. She had way too much to lose, otherwise.

"So, how come I've never see you around here?" Tim asked, even if he knew the answers to almost all of his questions already. He just wanted an excuse to talk to Sophie as much as he could before it was too late.

Sophie licked her ice cream and smiled a little. "I bet you _do_ see me," she mumbled.

"What?" Tim asked, leaning in closer to her.

"I just mean..uh, I usually don't go out in the daytime so much," Sophie said.

"What, are you a vampire or something?" Tim asked, grinning. "Will you start to sparkle if you're exposed to direct sunlight?"

Sophie's eyes got wide, and she made a gagging face. "Ew, no _way!"_ She giggled and shook her head. "It's always been normal for people not to notice me...even if I'm standing right in front of them. I'm not really that memorable."

Tim was silent for a moment. "Gee, I don't see how anyone wouldn't notice _you."_

Sophie stopped, mid-lick, and looked at him, her cheeks turning pink again. She noticed his were, as well, which made her smile. "Oh, you're so sweet!"

Tim chuckled. "Yeah, maybe just a _little."_

Suddenly, they heard a clock chiming nearby. Sophie gasped once she realized the time. She was way, way past the time she'd promised Harley. "Oh my _goodness!_ I didn't realize it was so late! She's gonna _kill_ me!" She handed her ice cream cone to Tim and jumped up. "I'm so sorry, Timmy. I have to go, _now!"_

"But, go where? Who's gonna kill you?" Tim asked, as Sophie began to rush off.

"It was so nice to meet you, but I think this has gotta be the first and last time," said Sophie, smiling a little. "Say hello to Alfred for me!"

Sophie dashed off, leaving Tim in the dust. He angrily threw the ice creams away and groaned to himself. He had never wanted their conversation to end. He knew she'd probably freak if she found out he was really Robin - one of the people constantly chasing after her and her "family." He shuddered to think what Barbara would say about him spending hours with their enemy, but he couldn't help himself. He glanced in the direction Sophie had been running and in a split second, ran after her, determined to stop her from doing whatever she was going to do.

As Sophie stood in the dark alley beside the tiny cheap store, she took a deep breath. It was still just a little job, almost useless. Nothing like what she and Harley usually did, that's for sure, but she was nervous, anyway. She had changed into her costume, but after noticing the obscure location and tiny size of the store, she'd debated on changing at all. No one would be around to recognize her or even stop her, most likely. It was pretty dead quiet. Even still, she found her heart beating wildly, and gulped. She adjusted the strap on her backpack, and stepped out of the alley. Sophie walked into the shop just as casually as one dressed as a clown could be. The store clerk took a look at Sophie, then started to laugh.

"Well honey," she said, chuckling, "You're a little early for Halloween, aren't you?"

Sophie sighed, wondering if she was going to get that kind of reaction every time she robbed a little store. She smiled a little, then pulled out a tiny gun and pointed it at the woman. "Yeah, I _guess_ you could say that."

The clerk gasped and stood up from her chair. "Whoa, what's _this?"_

Sophie pulled back the trigger. _"This_ is a gift from a friend. If I pull the trigger, out pops some super cool toxic venom. Do you wanna see?"

The woman gasped. "No, please! What do you want?"

Sophie lowered the gun and smiled. "Costumes."

With the gun pointed at the woman's back, Sophie watched as she packed the skirts and other accessories into a brown paper bag. As the woman finished, Sophie snatched the bag away, and dashed out of the store, giggling. She ran back into the alley, ready to make her getaway on a job well done.

"Hey, you! Stop right there!" Tim yelled, aggressively.

Sophie gasped and turned around, her gun pointed directly at him. When she saw the source of the voice, she laughed and lowered her gun. "What're _you_ doing here, Birdboy?"

Tim glared at Sophie. "It's _Robin,_ okay? And I should ask _you_ the same question."

Sophie giggled and backed up slowly, deeper down into the alley. She shook the bag in front of her, showcasing her prizes. "Just doing a little shopping. Now, if you'll excuse me, I gotta get back. Harley's probably having a fit right now!" Sophie turned around and began walking faster.

Tim ran after her and grabbed her arm. "I can't let you leave."

Sophie turned and looked at him, then burst into giggles. "You can't _let_ me leave? Uh, I'm not _asking_ you to let me." She jerked her arm out of his grip, and in a flash, reached her hand inside the side pocket of her bag. She pulled out a handful of tiny white balls. "I'm telling you, I'm _leaving."_

Tim grinned and pulled out his rope gun, ready to shoot Sophie and bind her. "You really think I'm afraid of those little gumdrops? You gotta be _kidding."_

Sophie narrowed her eyes. She didn't like his condescending tone at all.

"Look, S. P. Why do you wanna hangout with crazy rogues like the Joker and Harley Quinn, anyway? They could get you into some serious trouble," Tim said.

"Oh, right, like _you_ should talk!" cried Sophie, with a little scoff. "_You_ hangout with crazy vigilantes like Batman and Batgirl! They could get _you_ into some serious trouble, too. That's like, the same thing!"

"No, it's _not_ the same thing at all. The Joker and Harley are dangerous criminals who kill people for fun. You're not like that," said Tim. "You're...too good for that kinda stuff."

Sophie walked closer to Tim, smiling a little. "That's sweet, Bird...uh, Robin. Y'know, I kinda like you. You should really watch your back. I don't want you to get hurt when you're fighting Joker, Harley or me. Especially _me,_ since it's obvious I'm _so_ much stronger and smarter than you." She burst into giggles then. There was no hiding her playful side even when she faced her enemies.

Tim couldn't stop himself from blushing every time she laughed. "Yeah, well. I don't want _you_ to get hurt, either. You're not like your friends at all."

Sophie smiled again. "You don't know me. Maybe I _am_ like the Joker and Harley."

Tim gulped as she approached her. "I don't know you, you're right. But, I can tell that inside you is something good. You're too nice to be around those two."

"Y'know, Robin? You're really not as bad as I thought," said Sophie, slowly looking into his dark eyes. "And I have something to give you because of it. Here's part one."

Before Tim knew what was happening, Sophie stood on her toes and kissed him on his cheek. It was innocent enough, but Tim's whole body began to feel feverish in a blush.

Sophie noticed this, and giggled. "Tune in next time for the exciting conclusion," she said in her best "television voice," giggling.

Tim was paralyzed from the innocent kiss and could do nothing. After another moment, Sophie threw down the tiny white balls onto the ground right under Tim's feet. They exploded like tiny gunshots, and while he came back to reality and was jumping around trying to avoid having his toes shot off, Sophie was able to disappear completely. Tim looked around the alley after the pop balls had expired, and was so angry at himself for letting her get away again. Although, he was thankful for the "conversation" they'd had. He decided then and there to never wash his cheek again.

Much to the dismay of the two young teenagers, their respective "guardians" were both relieved and annoyed with them once they returned, just as Sophie and Tim knew they would be.

"Just _what_ were you _thinking?_ Do you have _any_ idea how long you were gone?" Harley cried, as Sophie sat guiltily on a chair. Harley paced in front of her. Sophie couldn't see it through her make-up, but she was sure Harley's face was red with fury.

"Alfred told me you met some girl in the park and you would only be gone a little while. _Hours_ later, and your shoes ruined with what looks like little bombs... would you mind telling me just _what_ you were doing?" Barbara asked at the same time, as Tim sat in the Batcave, his head down.

"Well," said Sophie, smiling sheepishly. "When I was in the park, I met a boy."

"You met a _boy?"_ cried Harley. "I was worried _sick_ about you, and you were playing house with some stupid kid?"

"Oh, but Harley, this boy is _amazing!_ He's smart and funny and cute! I guess I just forgot what time it was..." said Sophie, biting her lip, nervously. This is what it must feel like for normal teenagers when they missed their curfew, she thought. Although I bet this is much, much scarier!

"And this girl, Barb. Man, this girl is _amazing._ She's smart and funny, and pretty, and...uh...as sweet as_ ...pie,"_ Tim said. He bit his lip at his half confession and hoped Barbara didn't catch the reference. Unfortunately, she did.

Barbara stared at him and pinched the bridge of her nose. "Oh, _Tim."_

Tim stood up. "Hey, it wasn't _my_ fault, okay? Sophie just _happened_ to be in the park at the _exact_ same time as me. And I _did_ try and stop her from robbing a little store afterwards. So _ha!"_

"But then, when I was finishing my job, Rob...uh, _Birdboy_ showed up outta nowhere and tried to stop me!" Sophie said, in her defence.

"Well, _did_ you stop her?" Barbara asked.

"Uh, not really," said Tim, quietly, staring down at his hands in embarrassment.

"Well, did you _almost_ catch her, at least?" asked Barbara.

"Well, did Birdbrain almost catch you?" Harley asked, her arms crossed over her chest.

_"Absolutely,"_ said Tim, glancing back up with confidence.

"Absolutely _not!"_ cried Sophie, matter-of-factly.

Both Harley and Barbara sighed at the exact same times in their respective locations.

"So you see, _that's_ why I was so late!" Sophie and Tim said at the same time, throwing their hands into the air for a greater emphasis.

"It was all _his_ fault!" Sophie cried.

"It was all _her_ fault!" Tim cried.

Barbara stared at Tim and shook her head, walking away. Harley also looked at Sophie, and shook her head. Both women just had to deal with the fact they were in the presence of pre-teens.

When they were alone, Tim smiled, touching the cheek Sophie had kissed. Sophie smiled and touched her mouth with her finger, as she remembered kissing Tim. They both sighed, dreamily, grateful that neither Barbara nor Harley knew their real feelings - that they both had crushes on the enemy.

* * *

><p>Later that evening, Harley wasn't missing the Joker as much as she thought she would have. Instead, she was still a little ticked at Sophie's day out. Sophie danced and skipped around the hideout, singing as many songs from kid's movies as she could possible imagine. Harley scowled. It was just impossible to stay mad at Sophie for more than a few minutes. Seconds, even. Sophie hadn't even shown Harley the costumes she'd taken, and it was temporarily forgotten.<p>

"Hey, Harley?" Sophie said, her voice high-pitched and giddy as it normally was. "You're not still mad at me about today, are you? Don't you wanna go out tonight? Maybe we could do something nice, like go for a walk or go rob a jewelry store or something."

Harley had to burst into laughter after hearing the two choices Sophie had come up with. They were both completely different on the spectrum. Sophie was confused about what made Harley laugh, but she giggled also, for no reason at all.

Harley grabbed Sophie in a tight hug. "No, I'm not mad at you, cutie. I wish I _could_ be, but you just make it so freaking _impossible._ It's so _infuriating!" _She forcefully poked Sophie's ribcage as she spoke. "_Stop. Being. So. Cute_!"

Sophie giggled and just barely escaped from Harley's grip. "Okay, okay, I promise!" She eagerly grabbed Harley's hand. "So come on, let's go!"

Barbara was also lost in her thoughts, and it wasn't just because Tim had given her a little scare earlier that day. She'd been a mess ever since they had visited Sophie's old orphanage. She just couldn't believe that the little orphan girl Barbara had "rescued" was really Sophie. Even if Barbara had been just barely older than Sophie was now, she still remembered her feelings when she'd seen such a tiny girl all alone. After hearing her story from Ms. Robin, she felt something different towards Sophie. In Barbara's eyes, Sophie was almost exactly as she had been seven years ago. She was still just a lost, confused, scared, and now, terribly misguided little girl.

It was a rare night when she and Tim had gone patrolling separately. Tim, like Sophie, also wished for his older partners to trust him a little, and that night, Barbara had agreed and let him out alone. As Barbara swung through the buildings, a flash of red and black caught her eye. The unmistakable rainbow-colored Sophie was not too far behind. Barbara let go of her grapple and landed directly in front of them as they crossed into a dark alley.

_"Whoa!"_ Sophie cried, startled by Barbara's sudden appearance. Some stray cats screeched and ran away in fear. In a flash, Sophie reached her hand inside her bag and pulled out her trusty gumballs.

"Don't try anything funny, Bratgirl. We're not doing _anything_ wrong!" Harley cried, eyes narrowing. "You'd be arresting us under false pretenses, and you wouldn't wanna do that, now would ya?"

Barbara rolled her eyes. "Just because you're not doing anything wrong right _now_ doesn't mean you _won't."_

Sophie giggled and slapped a high five with Harley. "Yeah, you're probably right."

Sophie held Harley's hand and they slowly backed away from Barbara, planning their quick escape.  
>Barbara still remembered how Sophie had taken her hand when she was so little, because she had felt comfort with her. And now, she was taking the hand of someone as ruthless as Harley.<p>

"Well, we hate to eat and run, but we really _must_ be going," said Harley, as she and Sophie took a "bow."

They both made a beeline for the other side of the alley, ready to jump the fence and be gone. Suddenly, Barbara couldn't stand it anymore, and she knew what she had to do.

"Sophie, _stop!"_ Barbara cried, almost in desperation.

Sophie gasped and stopped, mid run. She slowly turned around and looked at Barbara, wide-eyed and in pure shock at what she'd just heard. _"What_ did you just call me?"

Harley gasped turned around as Barbara slowly walked over to them.

"I said, _Sophie,"_ said Barbara, gently, managing to smile a little.

"But..._how?"_ Sophie asked, almost out of breath upon hearing her enemy use her real name.

"Don't be afraid. I know who you are, honey. Sophie Michelle Pieska," Barbara continued, slowly, a small smile still on her face. "Age eleven, but just barely. Born in springtime at Gotham General. Your mother's name was Gabriela, but your father wasn't in the picture. You are-_"_

_"Stop it!"_ Sophie cried, her fists clenched in desperation. "You...you don't know _anything_ about me!"

Barbara stared at Sophie, who was clearly very upset to find out that one of her "enemies" really _did_ know who she was.

"Sophie, sweetie. I know all about you," Barbara said, still speaking as gently as she could. "I...I know your mother abandoned you when you were just a little girl. She was taking you downtown for some ice cream, and then...she never came back. I know you got sent to an orphanage that day, and...I know you ran away when you were nine."

Sophie suddenly began crying, then, but mostly out of anger. "Well, do you also _know_ how it feels to get adopted by so many people who always find a reason to just...send you back again?"

Barbara was silent for a moment before she spoke. "Sophie, what those people did to you was wrong. It was wrong, and it wasn't fair. Nobody deserves that. "

Sophie wiped her eyes again, and suddenly, her tough exterior melted away, and she was a small, scared little girl again. "I was all alone. I didn't have anyone else! They...they _promised_ to always love me and to take care of me...they told me they _wanted_ me. They _lied,_ and they didn't care how it made me feel! Nobody _ever_ loved me! My dad didn't love me, my mom didn't love me, and none of those stupid, horrible adoptive parents loved me, either!"

"Sweetie, I know it was so, so hard for you, but...being with the Joker and Harley isn't what you need," said Barbara. "You need a _family,_ and you need to be safe. If...if you just went back to the orphanage, I know a new family would just-"

Harley glared angrily at Barbara and interrupted her before another word was said. She'd been silent long enough. "Shut your trap, Bratgirl. She already _has_ a new family and she _is_ safe! _I'm_ gonna protect her with everything I've got. Sophie's not going _anywhere_ other than home with _me._ _I_ want her, and _nothing_ or _nobody_ can change my mind about that. Maybe all those other idiots couldn't see the best kid in the world when they saw her, but_ I_ do. I _love_ this girl with all my heart, she belongs with no one but _me!"_

Sophie began cry a little more after hearing Harley's words, and it was at that moment Barbara's worst fear came true. Sophie was so starved for love that she had latched onto the first person who showed her any love or affection. Sophie hearing Harley say she loved her and wanted her was something she had never heard from anyone in her life. Barbara knew that Harley was starved for love, too, even if it wasn't romantic love like what she lacked from the Joker. Harley had no love in her life, period. But now, having Sophie, a naive young girl who had nothing but love and adoration to give was exactly what Harley had needed. Harley loved and adored Sophie just as much as Sophie loved and adored Harley. They were there for each other in ways no one else could understand. They were both emotionally broken, but together, they were somehow fixed. This is what made the bond between Harley and Sophie so strong, and Barbara knew it would be next to impossible to break it.

Harley put her arm around the still crying Sophie, pulled out her grapple gun, and shot it high into the air. "Listen Bratgirl. You're wasting our time with all your useless, annoying blabbering, and we're bored. _Adios!"_

In a flash, Harley and Sophie were gone, and for the first time, Barbara didn't try to pursue them. Her mind was still in shock. She knew Sophie was very badly confused, and Barbara knew, unfortunately, there didn't seem to be anything anyone could do to reason with her.


	9. Be Careful What You Wish For, Harley

Sophie wasn't sure what to think after their run-in with Barbara. It made her feel extremely uneasy to know that her enemy knew so much information about her. Harley could see Sophie was troubled, and she was wise enough not to mention it again the next day. Instead, Harley focused on taking both their minds off their troubles. Harley had started to miss the Joker more and more, and it was almost too overwhelming for her. She knew she needed a good distraction before she went crazy, and she just hoped to help Sophie, too. In fact, the moment Harley suggested they get on with their hula lesson, Sophie's spunk returned and her face lit up with excitement as she ran to get their costumes.

Harley couldn't help but squeal like a kid on Christmas when she saw the horrible tacky grass skirts, brightly colored lei, and silly, funky coconut bras. It made the experience all the more better, and Harley absolutely loved it.

"We're gonna be just like those real people from Hawaii, aren't we?" Harley cried, grabbing her items gleefully. "Oh, Mister J is just gonna _plotz_ when he sees me in this!" Actually, she couldn't wait to show the Joker her costume, seeing as it was extra revealing.

Sophie grinned, pleased that she'd made Harley so happy, and her nervousness about Barbara melted away into almost nothing. Although Harley didn't have so much luck with forgetting _her_ troubles as easily as she had originally thought. Suddenly, her eyes began to tear up. Harley sniffed a little, then fell to her knees, sobbing loudly.

"Why did he have to go away for so _long?_ I miss my puddin' so much!" Harley now wailed like a child having a temper tantrum, and Sophie cringed at the sight.

"But, Harley!" Sophie shouted over Harley's loud, obnoxious cries. "He's coming back soon, isn't he?"

Rock and Bugs, who had been hanging out in the hideout, covered their ears as Harley continued to wail. Bugs pulled out his gun, aiming it at Harley, but Rock shook his head and motioned for him to put the gun away. Sophie thought for a moment, but finally decided there wasn't a thing she could say to comfort Harley when she was in hysterics like she was. She bit her lip, then grabbed her own costume and dashed off.

"What if he finds another henchgirl, one who's _prettier_ than me? What if she's taller...and stronger?" Harley gasped, loudly, almost in disgust. "What if she's a _natural_ blonde? What'll I _do_?" She cried, pathetically. "I'll just die, that's what! _Die!_ Maybe he's in Metropolis right now having a romantic picnic lunch with some beautiful, blonde bombshell!"

Harley was in such a state of panic, she didn't realize Sophie was nowhere in sight. Both Bugs and Rock shook their heads at each other. They were used to Harley's overreactions when the Joker left her to do business elsewhere, but it never got any easier or quieter to listen to. Suddenly, they heard cheerful Hawaiian music blaring from another room.

Harley stopped crying immediately and looked around. She stood up, her eyes wide with curiosity. "Huh? What's going on?"

Sophie ran into the room, a huge grin on her face. She was now wearing her Hawaiian get-up: a grass skirt, a coconut bra, and lei made from rainbow-colored paper flowers. Harley gasped in awe at seeing someone dressed as a "real" Hawaiian person. It was one of the most wonderful things she'd ever seen. To Harley, it was like Sophie was a real life cartoon, and she was almost speechless.

"What-" Harley began, her eyes wide.

Sophie held up one of her fingers, motioning Harley to be quiet. Harley sat down, open-mouthed, as Sophie turned around and prepared for her dance. Even Bugs and Rock watched with interest. When the music came to the part Sophie was waiting for, she turned and began moving her arms, hips, and feet in such a graceful motion, that Harley had no words. Sophie actually was very talented in hula, and Harley had never seen something so smooth and beautiful before. After the song finished, Sophie giggled at the expression on Harley's face. She found herself blushing a little, as it seemed her friend had enjoyed the show.

Harley snapped out of her trance and jumped up, her fists clenched in excitement. "And you could really teach _me_ to do that? I mean all that...hip moving and dancing and...cool stuff?"

Sophie nodded. "Of course I can. Do you think Mister Joker is gonna like it?"

Rock scoffed. "Well, if _my_ chick could move her hips like that, _I_ sure as heck would."

Sophie angrily turned to him. "Just remind me never to teach _her,_ then. Anyway, you guys can just get out. Today this is a girl's only clubhouse...um, I mean, _hideout_."

Bugs frowned. "Aw, c'mon! We wanted to stick around and see the show! I bet it's gonna be good. You're both not gonna be wearing much clothes, and we promise to throw l_ots_ of money at you! "

Before Harley could react, Sophie grabbed her little bag and tossed out her exploding gumballs towards the two of them. They both yelled in panic and pain as the gum balls exploded around them.

"I said get _out,_ you stupid idiots! What do ya think this is, some cheap nightclub show or _what?"_ Sophie yelled angrily, her fists clenched. "Get out, _now_!"

Bugs and Rock managed to escape Sophie's fury attack with little injury, and grumbled to themselves about heading down to the docks and playing pool, which they did very, very often. Harley looked at Sophie, and laughed, kissing her forehead. "Whoa, cutie. Do we need to change your name, or what? You're not so sweet, anymore, are ya?"

Sophie giggled. "Not with stupid...stupid-heads like that. Now come on, I think you're gonna need lots of practice!"

Sophie and Harley spent the rest of the day in their intense dance class, and they both had a ball. The most important thing was, that neither one of them thought once about the things which had troubled them. As much as Harley loved robbing banks, shooting guns and causing chaos, she had to admit that dancing hula was one of the most fun things she'd ever done, and she was less and less upset about the Joker.

By the end of the evening, Harley had almost learned the entire dance Sophie had done, and she couldn't have been happier about it. Harley was still full of energy, while Sophie was exhausted after so much work.

"Oh, Mister J is _really_ gonna love this! _Especially_ the outfit," Harley said, laughing. "I might just change from my Harlequin costume to this one. Do you think this is a practical look?" She twirled around gracefully.

"Well," said Sophie, seriously. "I'm sure B-Man would really appreciate you showing so much.._.cleavage."_

They both burst into silly giggles at the thought of Batman unable to concentrate on capturing them because he was so mesmerized by Harley's breasts. Suddenly, the door to he hideout opened, and Bugs and Rock came in as noisily as they possibly could. Rock was holding a manilla envelope in his hand. They both looked like they'd done a little more than just playing pool as they staggered inside, stupidly.

"Well, hello, boys," said Harley, pinching her nose. "Did you two have a good time out tonight? It sure _smells_ like it!"

Rock staggered slowly over to Harley. "Oh, we had a _grrrreat_ time. Actually, we got this down there. Some dude in a...in a white suit gave it to us. It's for _you,_ Toots."

"Something for _me_?" Harley gasped, confused. She certainly wasn't expecting that.

"Yeah, this guy was asking everybody if the Joker's men were at that bar. I thought he was lookin' for a fight, but he just gave me this,"said Rock, as he loudly hiccupped.

Rock thrust the envelope at Harley, then slumped back to Bugs as best he could. They both stumbled out the door just barely making it. Harley and Sophie heard them both collapse outside, snoring loudly. Harley shook her head and turned her attention to the envelope. On the front, were three black diamonds like that of Harley's costume. Written in thick, black letters beside the diamonds was the name, "Harley Quinn."

"Ooo," squeaked Sophie, her eyes wide. "Do you have a secret admirer or something, Harley? I bet Mister Joker's gonna be so _mad_ when he hears that! I bet he'd blow them away if he found out! Are you gonna _tell_ him? What is that, anyway? Is it money? Is it jewelry? Is it a phone number? Do ya think we could-"

"Shh," Harley said with a grin, gently shushing her. "I dunno what it is, sweetie. Just wait a minute." Harley carefully opened the envelope, unsure of the contents. She didn't want anything toxic to come popping out at her. She'd already had experience with stuff like that, and she wasn't taking any chances. Lucky for them, though, the only thing inside the envelope was...another envelope. Harley sighed and opened the second envelope, hoping it wasn't going to be a recurring theme. It wasn't, and she found herself holding a note written in awful handwriting.

"To Harley Quinn and her tiny partner in crime," Harley read out loud. "I've heard of your expertise, and I wish to hire you both for a job. I'll make it worth your while with lots of pay guaranteed. Come to Gotham Bay at midnight tonight, and you'll be greatly rewarded. After all, valuable merchandise is hard to come by," Harley read out loud.

Sophie gaped at Harley, dumbfounded. "Who wants to hire _us_ for a job? Don't they know better criminals in Gotham than _us?"_

Harley tossed the envelope away, excitedly. "Hey, don't sell yourself, short, cutie. We were _specifically _requested. Obviously, we must've done _something_ right for this guy to notice us!"

Sophie smiled a little, and let out a yawn. She'd had a completely full day already, and she was quite tired. Harley, however, was reeling. She couldn't ignore the fact they were promised a lot of cash, and that's all she cared about.

"Oh, just _imagine_ how happy Mister J would be if we got tons of money while he's gone? This is the best thing, ever! I always wished I'd be able to do something to make Mister J super proud, and I think _this_ could be it! It's my lucky day. _Our _lucky day! Uh...night."

Sophie gulped, quietly. Harley was probably right, the Joker _would_ be happy if they were able to pull off whatever job their mystery person had hired them for, especially if they got a huge reward. Still, the thought of being down at Gotham Bay so late at night scared her a little, and she had barely any energy left as it was. Harley began looking for her Harlequin costume, and Sophie knew it meant they were going to meet the sender just as soon as they could.

Sighing, Sophie took her clown costume into her room and began changing, also. "Y'know, I don't see why he wants to hire _me_, too. He obviously doesn't know _my..experience,"_ she called. "Maybe I should just stay here. I mean, I might mess up the job for you, Harley. I don't wanna do that."

Sophie sat down on her bed, sadly. As much as she liked being with Harley, she knew Harley was counting on the job to work out so she could impress the Joker, and she didn't want to risk ruining it for her. Plus, she wasn't sure if she'd even be useful if she was so tired as it was, already.

Harley came into the room holding her mask and face paint in her hand. "Oh, be quiet, you. I can't imagine doing a job without you, and I _won't_ do a job without you."

Sophie smiled, and yawned again, rubbing her eyes. "Oh, but I'm so sleepy, Harley. Maybe I'll just stay here and go to sleep."

Harley frowned, sadly. "Are you _sure,_ cupcake? I mean...don't you wanna help me?" Harley asked. "Mister J would be so proud of _both_ of us if we got something good tonight. I don't wanna go without you. I mean, what if I need help? I don't even know who this guy is who wants to hire us."

Harley's words really sunk in, and Sophie began to nervous. It was true, they had no idea who had hired them for the job. It could have been anyone at all. If Sophie let Harley go alone and something bad _did_ happen, she'd never be able to forgive herself. After all the things Harley had said and done for Sophie, she knew the least she could do was go with her on a job which was clearly so important to her.

Sophie smiled a little. She was willing to fight through her fatigue just to make Harley happy. "On second thought, I guess I'm not _so_ sleepy. I can do it."

Harley grinned. "Great! And maybe you could be my little scaredy-cat cheering cheerleader if you get too scared, hm?"

Sophie felt her cheeks go pink as Harley sat down on the bed beside her. "I'm not_ scared_," she said, defensively, even if it was a lie. "I bet ya I could even do the job better than _you_ could."

The shocked look on Harley's face was enough to send Sophie into a fit of giggles, breaking her defensive attitude. In a flash, Harley threw down her paint and mask and tickle-attacked Sophie again. Harley demanded that she apologize for the insult, or she would face the consequences.

"Okay, okay! I'm sorry, I'm _sorry!"_ Sophie shrieked. "I c-couldn't do the job better than you!" Sophie was giggling so much, she was crying.

"Alright, I believe you. I _guess,"_ Harley said slyly, then smiled as she stopped. She grasped Sophie's hand into hers and looked at her, seriously. "Listen to me, sweetie. This job is gonna be _great_ for us. You'll see. Mister J's gonna flip his lid. I'm so _excited_ I can hardly stand it!"

Sophie smiled, a bit nervous. "Do...do you think it's safe? Do you think anything bad_ could_ happen?"

Harley shook her head. "You got nothing to be afraid of, sweetie. I won't let _anything_ happen to you tonight, alright? I _promise_."

Sophie knew Harley never made a promise she couldn't keep, and even if she didn't feel comfortable taking the job, she would do anything for her. So, she trusted her word and hugged her, tightly. "I know you won't. I love you so much!"

Harley giggled. "I love you _more_. Now, come on. We gotta hurry if we don't wanna be late. Oh, I have a feeling this is gonna be the best night, _ever!"_

As Sophie dressed and began applying her make-up, she had to shake her head a few times to help wake herself up. She heard Harley happily singing from the bathroom. The song was something about getting loads of money for her honey, and Sophie had to giggle. Even if Sophie was doing the job out of guilt, she tried to make the best of the idea. If they _did_ do well and the Joker would be pleased with Harley for accepting it in the first place, it would be worth it. Sophie gave Lou and Bud each a pat on their heads as they watched her prepare. They were curious about why both Harley and Sophie were dressing to go out at that time of night.

"Harley and me are just gonna go meet somebody and do some work for him," Sophie said, as if she could read their minds. "But, we'll be back really soon, don't worry. Nothing bad is gonna happen to us."

Sophie finished applying her make-up and stood up, still longing to hop in bed and sleep. Harley emerged from the bathroom, a huge grin on her face. She took Sophie's hand, and they both headed towards the bay, both unsure of what lie ahead.


	10. Snatched

As Harley and Sophie made their way to the docks on foot, Sophie was fighting with her mind to stay awake and be energized. She knew just how important this job was to Harley, and she was determined not to mess it up (no matter how tired and exhausted she felt.) As much as Sophie hoped they could have swiped a car or some other mode of transportation, she felt grateful to be out in the chilly night air. It helped to wake her up somewhat, which she was happy for. Being more awake and alert, however, just gave Sophie's more reasons to be nervous and worry.

Harley was completely oblivious to this, though, as she happily chatted about everything under the sun...especially about how much she was looking forward to meeting their "mystery boss" shortly. It was like they were going to a theme park and meeting the man behind the entire place, and Harley couldn't wait.

"Do ya think he's really _famous_?" Harley cried, excitedly. "I mean, what if he's so _rich_ he gives us a million smackers just for _showing up?_ That would _really_ make Mister J happy!" Her eyes lit up at the thought of loads of money just within their grasp. "Although I gotta admit, it was_ weird_ that the back of the note said not to bring any weapons. What kinda job could we do that doesn't involve weapons, for gosh sakes?"

Sophie smiled, brightening a little. "Well, _maybe..._he'll just pay us 'cause we're so cute and pretty! That way, we won't need to shoot _anything!"_

Harley grinned and laughed loudly. "Oh, _now_ you're talking! _That's_ how to use our devastatingly good looks in a useful way. I like the way you think, sweetie! He'll take one good look at us and shell out his entire fortune!"

Sophie thought for a moment before she spoke again. "Yeah...but, Harley? What if the boss is a _woman? Then_ what could we do?"

Harley shrugged her shoulders and linked arms with Sophie as they walked. Women weren't a problem for her, either, and she scoffed. "Oh, that's even easier, kiddo. Ivy always _said_ I was pretty talented with a-"

"Harley, _look_!" Sophie interrupted, gasping a little. It was probably in Sophie's best interest that Harley wasn't able to finish her thought. On the other hand, Sophie was now at a loss for words. She pointed in front of them, her hand shaking. She saw a creepy dark figure standing right in their path. There was no way around it. "D-do you _see_ that?"

They had reached the docks by that time, and Sophie gulped, loudly, her heart thumping like a rabbit in her chest. It was just as dark and spooky as the last time she had been there, and she felt chilled. Only dim lights shown around them, making the dark figure much more scary.

"Oh my _goodness,_ I don't like this one _bit!"_ Sophie said in a hushed whisper, her voice a little uneasy.

Harley patted her arm a few times. "Don't worry, cutie. You gotta be brave just for _once_, okay? I know it's hard for you, but you gotta try not to be scared of _everything_!"

Harley had only meant it as a playful jab at Sophie, but Sophie didn't take it as such. She removed her arm out of Harley's grip with a huff. "I can _be_ brave!" She cried, a little angrily. "I'm not scared of _everything_!"

Harley giggled a little. "Oh, c'mon, cupcake. I bet this is the big guy in charge! Turn that frown upside down."

Sophie just huffed beside her, angrily. She was too tired and cranky for Harley's jokes at that moment.

The figure slowly walked towards them, and Harley stepped out in front, a huge smile plastered on her face. This was the person she was so looking forward to meeting, and she half expected him (or her) to just start throwing money at them. She could hardly contain her excitement. "Hiya, boss! Here we are, and it's your lucky day! We're ready for anything!"

Sophie was still pouting behind Harley, with her arms crossed over her chest. "Yeah," she mumbled. "Ready for anything, because I'm_ not_ scared!"

The dark figure still didn't speak, even as it came within arms reach of Harley. Harley gulped, her smile fading a little. Now she was beginning to feel uneasy and she could understand how Sophie must have felt. "So...uh...who are you, and how did you know about us?"

The figure laughed a deep laugh, which made Sophie's blood run cold. It was a terrible, menacing laugh, much more so than the Joker's. Without a second thought, she took a step closer to Harley and took her hand, slowly. Her anger had been trumped by her fear, and she could tell Harley was pretty spooked as well. Harley gripped Sophie's hand just a little, and she knew their feelings were mutual at the time - neither of them were thrilled to have the creepy looking hooded figure standing in front of them...and even worse, having it laugh.

"Harley Quinn, I'm so surprised at you," said the voice, speaking in a more human-like sound. "You're a _famous_ criminal around here, and a very _interesting_ one at that. Of _course_ I would know who you are, along with your little sidekick here. _Everybody_ should in my opinion." The figure removed his hood, to reveal a normal-looking man with shining red hair and deep brown eyes. "The name's Burgundy."

"_Burgundy_?" asked Sophie, raising her eyebrow. "What kinda name is _that?_ Did your mother hate you or something?"

Harley grinned, but Burgundy shut his eyes as if he had a headache. "It's my _last_ name."

Sophie giggled, her strength returning on account of not feeling the least bit threatened by him. "Well, _I_ never heard of you before. Who _are_ you? A millionaire? A mob boss? An escaped inmate? An out-of-town villain who needs a _way_ better costume?"

Burgundy smiled a little. "No, sweetie. I'm not a millionaire, mob boss, convict _or_ a villain. I used to work at Gotham University, but unfortunately, I was...released of my duties."

Harley let go of Sophie's hand for a second, bawling her fists up in a fit of anger. "Are you trying to pull a fast one on us or something? We didn't come all the way out here in the middle of the _freaking_ night for a play-date with a _nobody_, ya jerk! Where's the valuable merchandise we were promised, huh?"

Burgundy smiled, pulling out a gun without another word. He pointed it directly at Harley, who gasped in shock. "I'm afraid you must have misunderstood my note. The valuable merchandise _is_ here. _You _brought it, Harley!"

Sophie gulped loudly. "W-what're you talking about, Mister? We didn't bring anything with us! We don't even _have_ anything valuable!" She and Harley had slowly began backing up, ready to make the fastest getaway they could manage.

Burgundy smiled and lifted his free hand into the air as if to say, "come out, now." "Oh, you'd be surprised at just _what_ someone could consider valuable, my dear child."

Harley gasped again, turning around. To her horror, fifteen huge thugs came out of nowhere and began surrounding them on all sides. Some behind them, some appearing behind Burgundy. Many, she saw, had guns. She turned back to Burgundy, fuming. She gritted her teeth in an angry rage. "_We've been set up_!"

Suddenly, Sophie felt two strong arms grab her tightly from behind, pinning her arms to her body. "_Hey_!" She shrieked loudly. "What're you doing? Lemme _go!_"

Harley turned and saw the giant man who had grabbed Sophie. She stormed towards him, her teeth clenched. "Get your hands _off_ her, you-"

Burgundy shot the gun into the air as a warning, cutting Harley off and stopping her in her tracks. "Watch yourself, Harl, before you get somebody hurt. I heard you had a mouth on you, and I can clearly tell."

"Let. Me. _Go_!" Sophie screamed, kicking her feet angrily as the man lifted her up into the air, laughing at the fun he was having.

Harley tried to intervene once again, but Burgundy cocked his gun and pointed it at her. "Miss Quinzel, if I were you, I'd reconsider doing anything stupid. Look around. We've got you surrounded. You'd both be shot dead before you could even blink."

"I-I don't get it. What do you _want_?" Harley asked, nervously, her voice shaking. Harley knew she probably looked and sounded pathetic, but she knew the situation they were both in. Neither she nor Sophie had any weapons with them, and they were outnumbered big time. The only choice Harley seemed to have was to do exactly what Burgundy wanted...especially if she wanted to protect Sophie.

"What do_ I_ want?" Burgundy asked, innocently.

Sophie still struggled under the grip of the man. "Well,_ I_ want you to let me go, ya creep!" She cried, her teeth clenched. _"Put me down_!_"_

Burgundy laughed, partly at Sophie's attempt to free herself, and partly because of the cluelessness of Harley. "Oh, Harley, it's not about what _I_ want. It's about what _he_ wants. And _he_ wants your most valuable thing...which we're going to take to him right now."

Harley gaped at him, dumbfounded. "M-my most valuable thing? But, I didn't bring anything with me because we were told _not_ to! Whoever _he_ is can't take something away from me if I don't even_ have_ anything to start with! So, it looks like the joke's on you. Uh.._.him_!"

Burgundy laughed. "You little fool. You _do_ have something of great value with you. Remember, my dear, something valuable doesn't only have to be a _thing_. It can also be a _who_. And if I'm not mistaken, there _is_ someone here who is pretty valuable to _you,_ isn't there?"

It took Harley about a second to realize just what Burgundy meant by his statement. She felt her heart stop beating, and she gasped loudly, turning to Sophie. "_No_!" Another thug came behind Harley and grabbed her, also. She couldn't move an inch no matter how hard she struggled. _"No!_ No, you can't! _Please_!"

Sophie saw great fear in Harley's eyes, and that scared her more than anything. The tone of her voice made Sophie's heart race with fear, mainly because she had no idea what was happening.

"Harley?" Sophie said, her voice quivering. "W-what's he talking about?"

Harley tried to be as calm as she possibly could be. "Listen, I've got cash. I've got _loads_ of cash. How about some priceless jewels? I can steal anything you want, I _promise!_ Do you hear me? I'll get you _anything_ you want!"

Burgundy chuckled at Harley's apparent desperation. "Sorry, Harley. Your bribes won't work on me. I'm under strict orders from the boss to deliver the prize as soon as possible."

"The _boss?" _cried Harley, in shock.

"Oh yes. I _am_ just a henchman, after all. I simply take orders...just like _you_ do." He grabbed Sophie's face in his hand with a chuckle. "I had no idea it was gonna be such a piece of cake to take the kid, though. It was just as easy as taking candy from a baby!"

Sophie gasped, her stomach dropping. Now she understood why Harley had been so upset. "You mean...you...you...?" Sophie's throat felt dry, and her eyes felt moist. She was barely able to choke out her words.

Burgundy laughed evilly, thoroughly enjoying the reactions from both girls. "That's right, my dear. This _whole_ thing was a set up _just_ so we could nab you as easily as possible. We _knew_ Harley wouldn't be able to _resist_ a job to impress the Joker, and that _you_ wouldn't be able to let her do it alone. You're both _so_ predictable. Lucky us."

Sophie's eyes began to water as she listened to Burgundy's horrible words. She had struggled as hard as she could to free herself, but her fatigue had already begun to set in once more. "Oh, Harley!" She gasped, her eyes wide and her voice squeaking. "Don't let them take me, _please!"_

Burgundy laughed again."Don't worry, sweetie. You'll be _well_ taken care of. My boss is _so_ intrigued by you. He just wants to have a little...fun with your mind. Y'know...just play some little games with you, that's all. Just a little free test subject."

"Over my dead _body,_ he will!" Harley yelled, angrily trying o kick herself free.

Burgundy raised the gun and pointed it at Harley's face. "Oh, that can be arranged, if you want. You should _really_ learn to watch what you say, Harley. Surely that's what got you into this mess in the first place."

Harley noticed the thug holding Sophie had set her on the ground. Sophie stopped struggling in that moment, because she needed to save the little energy she had left. This was what she had been waiting for. Harley managed to grin at that moment.

"Oh yeah? Well, maybe _you_ should just _watch!"_ Harley cried, with half a giggle

Within a flash, Sophie used every ounce of strength she had left. She forcefully threw the thug who had been holding her directly over her back. He crashed into Burgundy in a heap on the ground. Harley had given Sophie a little self-defense classes months ago and Sophie had been dying to try out a move she'd learned. At the same moment, Harley used the same move with her thug, and he crashed into several more of them like dominoes.

Harley grabbed Sophie's hand and took off in a sprint, despite the gunshots they were encountering. Some of the goons felt lost without Burgundy telling them what to do, and it was fortunate for Harley and Sophie. They had nowhere to run as their exit had been blocked by thugs with guns, so they retreated further down the docks, dodging bullets as they flew all around them. There was mass construction happening around them and they relished in the thought of being in the cover of both darkness and by huge stacks of crates and boxes. They were stacked like a mini labyrinth, which only worked to their advantage. They hid back behind one of the stacks, as far as they could.

"Oh, Harley! I don't wanna go with them!" Sophie breathlessly panted, her eyes filling with hot tears. "P-please, don't let them take me! _Please_!" Sophie couldn't stop herself from sobbing out of fear, her heart pounding.

Harley pulled Sophie close into a hug, her heart beating wildly, also. "I _won't_ let those creeps take you, sweetie. I promise! Nobody's gonna take you _anywhere."_

Sophie couldn't imagine the kinds of things they would do to her if they caught her, and that scared her more than anything. The thought of being taken away from Harley and even the Joker, whom she had a great respect for, shattered her heart. She began to cry pathetically, out of both sadness and fear. Suddenly, they heard voices approaching them. Harley quickly covered Sophie's mouth with her hand, still holding onto her tightly. "C'mon, cutie. You can't make a single sound, okay? Not _one_!" Harley whispered quietly, but urgently.

Sophie nodded, her eyes wide with fright. Suddenly, they heard gunshots and the crashing sounds of stacks of crates being knocked over. Sophie flinched, shutting her eyes tightly. She gasped at the noise of the gunshots, but luckily, only a quiet, muffled sound escaped her mouth. Sophie held onto Harley as tightly as she could, never wanting to let go. It was fortunate that Harley had Sophie's mouth covered, because otherwise, she would have cried out, and then they'd have been goners in a heartbeat.

"They gotta be around here, _somewhere,_ boss! We blocked the exit to the street. They ain't going _nowhere!"_ cried a thug.

"But, they _are_ going somewheres, ain't they? I thought we was gonna kidnap that cute little brat, then send Harley Quinn to the bottom of the bay!" said another, questionably. "Ain't that right, boss?"

Sophie opened her eyes after hearing their plan, feeling sick to her stomach at the thought of them catching Harley. She was more concerned about the safety of Harley than for herself. If she knew they would leave Harley alone, Sophie would have given herself up and gone willingly with them, especially after hearing what they wanted to do to her. But, from the look of things, even giving herself up would still result in them harming Harley. There was silence then, but suddenly, they heard a gunshot, and the sound of something heavy hitting the ground. Sophie gulped, knowing full well that Burgundy had shot the man who asked the question.

"Does anybody _else_ have any more questions I can answer?" Burgundy asked, loudly, only to be met with silence. "Now, listen up! If you goons don't find them within the next _twenty minutes_, I'll have your heads on a platter! Do you understand me?" He cried, angrily, shooting his gun into the air. "Everybody split up and take a good look around here. They've got nowhere to run but everywhere to hide. They're trapped like mice! Leave no box unturned. Now, _go_!"

Harley and Sophie heard shuffling and footsteps all around them. Harley's eyes became wide with fright after each nearby sound. For once, she knew they were in a very, very bad position. She didn't have a clever...or even a stupid plan to get them out of it. They couldn't run undetected, because they were surrounded on all sides. They couldn't fight, because there was no way that the two of them could take on so many armed people. They really were trapped like mice. Harley looked at Sophie, whose eyes were wet with frightened tears. She felt her own eyes fill with tears, too, but she blinked hard to keep them from falling. For the first time in any job she'd ever done, or any situation she'd ever been it, she felt completely helpless and out of ideas. It seemed this time was really the end of the line. Harley shut her eyes tightly after coming to the realization that it could very well be their last moments, and she quickly wiped the tears which started to fall before Sophie could see them. Harley knew the only thing they could do was wait it out, and hope not to be discovered.

For what seemed like an eternity, every footstep or shuffle that came around them made both Sophie and Harley's hearts jump. They were waiting for the moment when a face or body would come peeking around the corner, see them, and everything would be over. As the seconds turned to minutes still, they heard the yells of the men becoming more and more frantic.

"Boss, we looked _everywhere!_ They ain't here!" A faint voice called out from a distance.

"They have to be here, you idiot!" called another voice. "They didn't sneak past Big Ed! There ain't no way!"

Another loud gunshot rang out in the night, making Harley and Sophie gasp. "You're all the lowliest bunch of henchmen ever! It's been over an _hour,_ and you're telling me you haven't seen a _single_ thing, yet?" yelled Burgundy, his voice a little closer than the rest, but still off in the distance. "He's not gonna be happy about this if we come back empty handed! He was counting on us to snatch that stupid kid! He set it up _perfectly!_ He'll kill us _all!"_

"Maybe they's out on the street somewhere, boss!"called another voice from a different direction. "Maybe they really _did_ make a run for it!"

Harley and Sophie looked at each other, their eyes wide. That statement was exactly what they wanted to hear. They just hoped it would have some affect on Burgundy.

"Alright, listen up! Let's get outta here!" Burgundy yelled, angrily. "I read all about them, and I thought this was a sure thing! I _knew_ those two are notorious for slipping out of places unnoticed, and I shoulda known it _this_ time. They're sneaky, just like...just like-"

"_Mice_," both Harley and Sophie mouthed along with Burgundy, grinning at each other for a moment. Sophie had to cover her mouth to stifle the giggle that came afterwards.

They heard someone kick over stacks of crates, and they assumed it was Burgundy, livid that he'd failed his mission. Their suspicions were confirmed once they heard Burgundy angrily scream every curse word known to man. Harley bit her lip and covered Sophie's ears until he stopped his ranting. They stopped and listened, and their hearts leaped with joy after hearing the footsteps slowly get quieter and quieter, until they heard nothing.

"Oh, _Harley!"_ Sophie squealed quietly, throwing her arms around Harley, happily. "They didn't find us, they didn't find us!"

Harley hugged Sophie back, but she still looked around, nervously, shushing her. "Hold on, cutie. I dunno if we're in the clear just yet. They're stupid, but I bet ya they aren't_ that_ stupid. I'm gonna go take a peek out there just to be sure. Stay here, and I don't wanna hear a peep outta you 'til I get back, you got it?" She grinned and poked Sophie in the stomach, making her giggle.

"I got it, I got it," Sophie said with a grin, sitting down and pulling her knees up to her chest. She watched as Harley carefully stood up and began to walk away. "Hey, Harley?"

"What is it, sweetie?" Harley asked, turning back around.

"Um...when we get back to the club..._hideout_, can we eat a _whole_ tub of ice cream for breakfast, _please?_ I think I need it," Sophie said, sighing heavily. "Y'know, it's a good thing I color my hair for my costume, 'cause I bet ya I got some gray hairs, now...and I'm barely eleven!"

Harley laughed, kneeling down and cupping Sophie's face in her hands. "Sure, cutie. We can eat _three_ tubs of ice cream if you want!"

Sophie smiled, a glint in her eye. "You _promise_?" She couldn't help but giggle.

Harley laughed, realizing she was being set up. "Yeah, I _promise._ And you know I_ never_ break a promise."

Sophie giggled once more. "Yeah, I know, that's why I asked."

Harley kissed Sophie's forehead and stood up, hoping to check the coast was clear, and to get them both out to safety. "I'll be back in just a minute, okay?"

Sophie looked around at the dark surroundings, and gulped. She bit her lip, nervously. "Y-you promise?" She asked, her voice in a hushed, nervous whisper.

Harley smiled and pinched her cheek quickly before she left. "I _promise!"_

As Harley quietly scampered off, Sophie took in a deep, nervous breath. She knew they were safe and sound because as they hadn't heard a single sound for a long time. Still, she hated to be alone in the dark and she couldn't fully relax just yet. She hugged her knees tightly to her chest, and concentrated on watching the place Harley had disappeared to. She thought if she concentrated hard enough, she'd be able to magically make Harley appear with the all clear, and they would be able to run away and never look back.

After a few minutes, Sophie felt her eyes grow heavy, and she yawned, sleepily. She wondered if the sun would soon be rising, as she'd lost track of the hour by then. The entire night was a complete blur to her. She thought she had been tired _before_ all the chaos, but now, she was almost too weary to function. She felt her eyes slowly begin to close, and before she knew it, she had given up all hope of fighting to stay awake. As she started to get comfortable on the chilly wooden ground, she used the very last bit of energy left inside her to forcefully shove herself up into a seated position once more. She blinked her eyes a few times as hard as she could. "C'mon, c'mon! Snap out of it!" She scolded herself, giggling a little as she rubbed her burning eyes. "Now's not the time to sleep."

All of the sudden, she felt two cold hands seize her from behind. Before she could cry out even the slightest peep, one gloved-hand clamped tightly over her mouth, and the other wrapped around her waist and jerked her up from the ground as if she were nothing more than a tiny little puppy.

"Oh, you'll be able to sleep soon enough, cutie," said the deep voice of one of Burgundy's men, who had still been lurking around. He had waited for such a moment, and he counted his lucky stars that Burgundy had instructed him to stay behind and see if the two girls would eventually come out.

Sophie was in a right panic at that point, kicking and fighting as hard as her tired body could manage, but his grip was just too strong for her. She tried desperately to scream for Harley, but the only sound she was able to make through the thick leather glove was a quiet, muffled whimper. She tried again and again to scream, yell, shout...anything, but her soft, quiet cries were as quiet as the wind in the trees.

"You ain't going _nowhere,_ sweetie, 'cept with _me._ I'm just gonna take you to the boss, and he'll deal with you, then," said the thug with a laugh, as he started to drag Sophie away into the darkness. Given his size compared with hers, it was an easy task. "Man, I should get a gold medal for this! Kidnapping you right from under Harley Quinn's nose is something to be proud of!"

As the man pulled Sophie farther away, she began to feel sick in her stomach. She knew if she didn't find a way to escape, she might not live much longer. Try as she might, though, no amount of kicking or struggling could free herself. He lifted her up and started carrying her under his arm with ease, and Sophie could do nothing but cry, completely giving up her fight.

Harley had seen nothing on her lookout, and sighed with relief. "What useless goons _they_ turned out to be. But, this is the _last_ time we answer a creepy, strange letter, that's for sure!" She said out loud, making her way back to where she'd left Sophie. "This was almost as bad as the time I answered that personal ad at the university!" Harley paused. "_Almost_." When she came close to where Sophie had been, she grinned. "Hey, sweetie, the coast is clear, and it's time to _cel-e-brate!"_ When Sophie didn't come a-running, Harley's grin faded. She rounded the corner, expecting to see Sophie. When she wasn't in the spot she should have been, Harley gasped. "Hey, sweetie, where are you? C'mon, we're going home!" Harley's stomach dropped after a moment, and she began frantically walking through the maze of boxes. "Sophie?" She cried, a little more urgently. "Sophie, sweetie? Where'd you go? If you're hiding, it's not funny. And I _know_ funny...I'm a _harlequin!"_

As Harley searched, Sophie was crying much more now, still trying to make as much noise as she could to alert Harley about her current predicament. The thug carrying her rolled his eyes as he walked. "Hey, stop your whining, you little brat. I ain't letting you go, no matter how much you cry."

"Sophie!" Harley yelled, hysterically. She was well beyond panicked by then, her heart racing inside her chest so hard she thought it would burst through at any moment. "_Sophie_!"

Sophie's eyes widened after hearing Harley's voice echo in the distance, and she felt a sudden jolt of energy. She kicked her feet as hard as she could at just the right moment, and knocked over a huge stack of boxes as they passed by them. The thug gasped and used one of his hands to stop one of the boxes from crashing directly into their heads. Sophie took that chance to kick and struggle once more, and the thug lost his grip on her, causing her to fall to the ground around the stray boxes which were now crashing down everywhere. She wasted no time in running from him as fast as her tired legs could carry her, under the shield of the little chaos she'd caused.

"_Harley_!" Sophie screamed, half sobbing, her voice hoarse from her tears. She ran towards where she thought Harley was. "Harley, I'm over here! He's after me!" Sophie continued running, glancing behind her, half expecting the thug to be on her heels. When he was nowhere to be found, she gasped and was able to stop sprinting, much to her pleasure. She was feeling faint in her head and wasn't sure just how long she would have been able to continue like she had been. She stopped to catch her breath and to wipe the tears from her eyes, relieved to finally be away from danger.

"Sweetie, don't worry! I'm coming, I'm coming!" Harley yelled from a closer distance.

Sophie giggled, breathlessly, but managed to shout back. "Okay, I'm not going anywhere!"

She leaned back against a stack of boxes, happily. She wanted to laugh at the bumbling thug, and how she had managed to escape from him with ease. She grinned widely when she noticed Harley's shadow come running towards her. Her entire body filled with pure happiness, and she felt as if she'd burst open. "Oh, Harley!"She squeaked happily, her fists clenched with joy as she ran towards Harley's shadow. "Harley, you-" Suddenly, Sophie gasped lin sheer horror. She lost her breath and fresh tears poured from her eyes. The shadow which had run towards her wasn't Harley, but another one of Burgundy's thugs. "_No!"_ Sophie quietly cried out in disbelief. "No!" Sophie gasped, backing up. She almost fell to her knees in agony when she realized she literally had no energy to protect herself any longer. As the thug came into view, grinning and holding a pistol in his hand, Sophie felt as if someone had punched the wind out of her.

"Hiya, Sweetie. Did ya miss us?" He snarled, reaching his hands out towards her.

Sophie continued to back up, her vision cloudy with tears. She gasped as she tripped over her own feet, falling onto her back. _"Harley!"_ She screamed as loudly as she could. Unfortunately, given her current state of mind and fatigue, she had barely made a sound. "_Harley, help m-_!" Before she could finish the sentence, a cold, gloved hand covered her mouth once more.

She gasped as the first thug grabbed her again, angrily jerking her up from the ground. "You little_ brat_!" He growled, fiercely. "Did you _really_ think you could run away from me? That stupid little clown girl ain't gonna find you no matter _how_ loud you scream! Now, we're getting out of here, and I hope the boss will _kill_ you just as fast as he can. I'll be _glad_ to watch!" As the thug picked Sophie up again in one of his arms, she could barely fight back, this time. She knew she was a goner, and she cried harder than ever before as he made his way back towards the street. "Y'know, it's a shame I can't just dispose of you _now._ I've got _tons_ of ways I could get rid of a little brat like you!"

Sophie noticed the other thug had disappeared for a second, but she saw his shadow which seemed to creep beside them. She wondered why he wasn't saying a word, but she was too afraid to wonder for long. Suddenly, he jumped out in front of them, but to Sophie's joy, it wasn't the thug, but Harley.

"Hey, you stupid _creep!"_ Harley cried, her fists clenched angrily. "You got _some_ nerve, y'know. You have about_ five_ seconds to let her go, before I hand you a still-pumping body part!"

The thug laughed and shook his head. scoffing. "I aint scared of a silly little dame like _you_ dressed in a clown costume!"

Harley advanced towards him, her fists clenched in fury. "Well, you _should_ be, 'cause trust me, if you don't get your hands off her right now, you'll get a taste of my foot in all the places it _shouldn't_ be. Unless you have any last words, I'll go ahead and _demonstrate_ for ya."

The thug grinned widely as he saw his partner sneak up behind Harley, the pistol raised like a club. Sophie's eyes got wide, and filled with tears. She tried with all her might to warn Harley, to tell her to watch out behind her...but it was completely useless as the thug had such a tight grip covering her mouth.

_"My_ last words, hm?" said the first thug with a sly grin. "Well, if you _insist._ I promise you...we'll take good care of your little sweetie pie."

_"What?"_ Harley asked, dumfounded. That surely wasn't what she was expecting to hear.

Before Harley knew what was happening, the thug behind her clubbed her in the back of her head with the handle of his pistol. She fell to the ground like a sack of potatoes, knocked out cold. Sophie gasped in a panicked distress, but she could do nothing to help her dear friend.

The first thug lifted her up under his arm again as harshly as he could. "Get on with it, Mack! Tie her to one of them heavy boxes, dump her into the bay, and let's get going! She'll sink to the bottom like a red and black cannonball!" He dragged the hysterically crying Sophie away as he shouted the orders to his partner. "Hurry it up! We've got some precious cargo to deliver."

Mack dragged Harley's limp body towards the pier, just as he had been instructed. He hastily threw her on top of a wooden box with a groan. He grabbed some prickly rope and began tying Harley to the box as quickly as he could. Once he had finished, he kicked the box off the pier. He grinned as he heard the loud splash, and laughed as he watched the box slowly sink down into the cold, murky black water. "See ya _around...never,_ Harley Quinn," he chuckled, "saluting." He eagerly walked off to meet his partner...ready to take Sophie to the man behind the entire operation.


	11. Harley Quinn is NOT Crazy, is She?

The quiet older couple who were taking their daily morning walk down the long pier smiled together as they saw the bright orange sun rising over the horizon. They often visited the pier at this hour because there were never any disturbances, despite all the construction around. They both enjoyed the peace and quiet and would often bring pieces of stale bread to throw to the ducks, fish, and seagulls. As they walked down to the end of the pier, the old woman began tossing bread crumbs into the water. "Come on, little darlings. Breakfast is ready!"

Not a second after she spoke did they see a wet hand reach up and grab the top of the pier. The couple gasped and backed up not a moment before another hand followed.

Harley struggled with all the strength she had left to pull herself on top of the pier, taking in deep gulps of air and groaning from immense pain. Her head throbbed as if it were stuck in a clamping vice, and her entire body ached. The ropes, which Burgundy's thug had hurriedly and lazily tied were still attached to her wrists like fashion bracelets. She tore off her headpiece and threw it on the ground, followed by her mask. She wasn't even able to stand up, so she remained on her hands and knees, gasping from a combination of shock, fear, exhaustion, and disbelief. Her make-up had been almost completely smeared off, and her hair, still in pigtails, was messy, soggy and matted. To the normal eye, she looked quite frightening.

"Y-you have to help me!" Harley cried, finally finding her voice. She reached her hand out to the couple in desperation. "She...she's gone! She's _gone!"_ Harley tried to stand up, but her legs wobbled out of fatigue and she collapsed to the cold, wet pier. "Please, please help me!"

The couple didn't know what to do or say, and they fled as fast as they could in an attempt to escape from the crazy woman they'd just seen. Harley continued to lay on the pier, staring up at the sky with her icy blue eyes wide with shock. "You...we have to help," Harley said hoarsely, to no-one in particular. "She's gonna die. They're gonna kill her...and it's _my_ fault. It's all my fault!" Minutes went by, until Harley heard loud police sirens in the distance. Suddenly, she began to sob, loudly. "I promised nothing would happen. I _promised!"_

"There she is, I see something!" called a voice, as several policemen and women came rushing down the dock.

"I promised nothing would happen to her, but...but they took her! Do you hear me? I _promised!"_ Harley screamed, as two police women grabbed her arms, lifting her up off the pier. "I was...I was right there, and I didn't stop them! I didn't stop them!"

"Miss Quinzel? Are you alright?" asked one of the women.

Harley angrily shoved them both out of the way, wiping her tear-stained face, smearing more of her white make-up away. "Of _course_ I'm not alright! Do I _look_ like I'm alright? Don't just _stand_ there! We gotta find her! She's gonna die if we don't find her! Don't ya get it? She's gonna _die!"_

A huge man carrying a white straight jacket grabbed Harley, and before she could fight back, she had been securely fastened inside of it. "No, No! You don't understand! It's not _me_ you want! It's...it's _them!_ Do you hear me?" No amount of pleading could persuade the police to listen to a word she was saying. As Harley was lifted into the back of the Arkham Asylum truck, she was still going nuts. "No, wait! Please! I can't go back to Arkham! Not now! I gotta find Sweetie Pie!" Harley sobbed, loudly, tears streaming down her face. "Why won't anybody listen to me? I need help! I need _help!"_

One of the officers tossed Harley's mask and headpiece into the back of the truck and scoffed to his partner. _"That's_ for sure."

He slammed the back of the truck and thumped his hand against it three times, signaling the driver to go. He could still hear Harley screaming and kicking the walls of the truck, shouting that everyone stop what they were doing and help her find the people responsible for taking Sweetie Pie. She was in angry hysterics over it, and over the fact that no one seemed to be taking her seriously.

The officers shook their heads in disbelief.

"I always knew she was a whack-job, but this is taking it to a _whole_ different level," said a man, staring after the truck as it drove off towards Arkham Asylum with the still hysterical Harley in the back, screaming and fighting with all her strength, pleading for help that would never be given.


	12. I Get By With A Lil Help From My Friends

Harley lay in her bed in the room she was all too accustomed to, her tear-filled eyes wide open, but completely lifeless. Beside her on the bedside table, she had the little plastic rose plant Ivy had given her for one of the many birthday's they'd spent locked away. Next to the cheery flower, the Joker's smiling portrait grinned out from the frame. Harley was oblivious to both of the uplifting items. The scene from the night Sophie was taken played and replayed over in her mind until she felt sick and dizzy. Harley blamed herself for the situation Sophie was in, and the more she thought about it, the more awful she felt. Harley had no doubt in her mind that Sophie would be killed, and it would be her fault entirely. If only she hadn't jumped into taking a "job" they knew nothing about just for the sake of a little cash, she would be out of the asylum, and Sophie would be safe. Harley had fallen into such a state of depression that she hardly cared about anything other than trying to get someone, _anyone_ to help her find Sophie before it was too late. Although, the more people dismissed her as "crazy," the worse she felt inside.

Many of the doctors had come to try to and speak with Harley, offering her food and water, a chance to walk outside her cell, or any other numerous activities...anything to snap her out of the funk she was in. Harley angrily refused every offer or suggestion, usually bursting into angry tears while she screamed at them, asking them to please believe her story.

At that current time, all the other inmates were enjoying time out in the rec room, but after being asked yet again to join, Harley's responses were always the same, hysterically shouting and screaming, "I have to get outta here and find her, don't you get it? You gotta help me find her! Please! _Please!_ She's gonna die! Don't you creeps care about a little _kid?"_

Dr. Leland, Harley's main doctor, had done her best to soothe Harley's feelings and prevent her outbursts, but she too could do nothing. Dr. Leland knew Harley was in even more shock and delusion than she'd ever seen before, and it didn't seem to lighten up even as the days went on. Harley was absolutely desperate for any of the doctors or guards to take her seriously about what had happened. Because her ranting and raving didn't seem to phase any of them, at times, Harley wondered if perhaps she really _was_ imagining the whole thing, and Sophie really wasn't missing at all. This only made her more confused and withdrawn, and she felt more alone than she'd ever felt before.

A week later, as Tim and Barbara were delivering their latest "catch" to the asylum, Tim passed by Harley's cell, noticing her sitting upright in the bed with a blank expression on her face and tears on her cheeks.

"Hey," Tim commented to Barbara. "I didn't know Harley was back at the asylum! She _looks...weirder_ than usual, if that's even possible. I wonder what happened?" He looked around carefully before speaking again. "I wonder if Sophie is here, too!" He whispered, his heart fluttering a little as the thought crossed his mind.

Barbara rolled her eyes. "Oh, come _on_!"

A doctor walked by just then, who seemed not so much younger than Harley. He saw Barbara and Tim standing in front of Harley's cell, and he smiled as he walked towards them. Seeing the caped crusaders made him feel at ease, somewhat. "Sad, isn't it?" He said, nodding towards Harley. "She's been like that since she got here. Does nothing but sit, cry, and mumble things to herself. She's also prone to having random screaming fits about how we're ignoring her. She's been raving on and on the past week and a half, _convinced_ some crazy people kidnapped a friend of hers - Sweetie Pie."

Barbara and Tim gasped loudly. _"What?"_

"Yeah, but don't worry. We sent a couple of off-duty police down to investigate, but they found nothing. I hate to say it, but you know Harley's a little...out of her mind most of the time. She's probably just delusional and imagined the whole thing," said the doctor. "We're upping her meds soon, hopefully that'll calm her down and snap her out of it." The doctor excused himself then, walking away to another appointment.

Barbara and Tim wasted no time in talking with Dr. Leland as soon as they could, in order to find out more about what had happened. Dr. Leland was a bit surprised about how much Batgirl and Robin wanted to see her, and she was even more taken aback by their heated questions about Harley's current situation.

"Dr. Leland," Barbara said, after previously firing numerous questions at her, "I understand Harley's been here for over a week. Have you been able to do anything for her?"

Dr. Leland shook her head. "Absolutely nothing. She barely eats, barely sleeps. She's always in hysterics about Sweetie Pie. She screams that she needs someone to help locate her."

"Well,"said Tim, his voice raised out of anger. "Has anyone ever thought about, oh, I dunno, actually_ listening_ to her?"

"Robin," Barbara began, reaching her hand out to him.

"Could _we_ speak with her?" Tim asked, avoiding Barbara's hand. "Maybe _we_ could do something."

Dr. Leland shook her head. "I'm sorry, but I'm afraid that's out of the question. Harley really just needs her rest, and I think she can't handle anymore stress right now."

Tim fumed more over Dr. Leland's answer, and he cleverly excused himself from the room before he exploded in a furious rage. He couldn't believe the doctors at the asylum wouldn't help Harley, especially this time. Despite the police finding nothing to prove Harley's claims of a kidnapping, Tim believed something really _was_ wrong. If it had just been Harley getting accidentally caught by the police, surely she wouldn't have been in such a state of hysterics as she currently was. The thought of Sophie being hurt by whoever had taken her made his blood boil. He knew he had to do something, and he was determined to do whatever he had to.

Tim didn't feel the need to wait around for Barbara to finish her conversation with Dr. Leland. He knew being in the asylum would just make him more annoyed and irritated, and it would probably be in his best interest to get out of there as soon as he could. He made his own way back to Batcave in record time, ready to turn his plan into a reality. He was going to do the unthinkable - bust Harley out of Arkham. If no one else in Gotham would help Harley find Sophie, then _he_ would. He knew his plan was risky, illegal, and crazy, but Sophie's life wast at stake, which was a good enough reason for him to break the law. He figured he was already a vigilante, so he might as well add "assisting in a prison break" to his long list of accomplishments. He began thinking of just what he'd need to break her out, and he began shoving random things into a black backpack. He was working as fast as he could, trying to avoid being caught by Alfred and Barbara. Unfortunately, he heard the roar of the Batcar enter the cave. He ignored it and he continued to shove things into the bag.

Barbara stepped out of the car, and crossed her arms over her chest. "Why on earth did you rush out of there like that?"

Tim stopped putting things into his bag and stared up at Barbara. "Didn't you hear what that doctor guy said? Somebody kidnapped Sophie, Barb. Or, was _I_ the only one in the room who heard it?"

Barbara shook her head. _"Allegedly_ kidnapped. Didn't you hear the last part of it? They already sent the police to check it out and they found nothing! You can't argue with reality, Tim. You know Harley Quinn hardly ever visits that."

Tim sighed, heavily. "Look, no matter _how_ much of a psycho Harley is, you could tell something was really, _really_ wrong. I'm probably the _only_ one who believes her, and I'm gonna help her."

Barbara gaped at him, dumbfounded. "Oh, Tim. _Please_ tell me you're not thinking about breaking into Arkham just to talk to Harley, are you?"

Tim shook his head. "Nope."

Barbara sighed with relief. Tim at least had some sense in him.

"I'm thinking about breaking into Arkham just to break Harley _out_," Tim replied, casually.

Barbara gasped, loudly. _"Oh_ no, you're not! You're _not_ going to break the law for her, Tim. Why would you even _think_ about that?"

Tim sighed and looked at Barbara seriously. "I know what it's like not to have a family, Barb. You, Bruce, and Alfred are the only things I have as a family...kinda like what Harley and Joker are for Sophie. If somebody kidnapped you, and Bruce was thrown in jail, I'd do the _exact_ same thing. I'd bust _him_ out and do everything I could to get _you_ back. Harley has _no one_ to do that for her. Who knows _where_ the Joker is, but I'm betting he's not lifting a _finger_ for her." Tim zipped the bag and turned around. "I'm _not_ just gonna sit by and let Harley suffer like that, no matter _how_ much of a criminal she is. I'm going through with it, whether _you_ help or not."

Barbara was completely speechless as she watched Tim head out of the Batcave. She couldn't believe what he was thinking. "Hey," she called after him after a moment, her voice stiff.

Tim stopped walking, but didn't turn around. "What?"

Barbara paused a moment before she spoke again. "You're gonna need a few more gadgets if...if _we're_ gonna pull this off."

Tim turned back around to face her, a small, satisfied grin on his face. "Just _what_ did you have in mind?"

Back at the asylum, the young doctor Tim and Barbara had bumped into walked down the corridor later that evening with Dr. Leland.

"You know, I just don't _understand_ it," Dr. Leland said, as they stopped in front of Harley's cell. Harley had at least sat up in her bed, but the look in her eyes were blank, distant, and full of tears. "We've tried _everything_ we can think of, with _no_ positive results. I apologize to you, seeing as you're interning here at Arkham at such a bad time, Dr. Berry."

The young doctor smiled. "No apologies needed, Dr. Leland. I was interested in Miss Quinzel after hearing about how she fell from grace. I've also known about the Clown Prince of Crime, Joker for years. I'm surprised _he's_ not here, as well."

Dr. Leland smiled a little as they began to walk away. "Yes well, he's been spotted a few times around town in the past couple of days, so I'm _sure_ it's only a matter of time before he slips up and gets a cell here, again."

Harley blinked her eyes after hearing what Dr. Leland had said, as if coming out of a trance. She felt her heart beat a little faster, and she blinked again, harder this time. "Puddin'? He's...he's back from Metropolis?" Harley's eyes suddenly became bright and full of life, again. "Oh, this is _perfect!_ I just _know_ Mister J's gonna flip his lid when he finds out what that creepo Burgundy did. He'll help me get her back, I _know_ it!"

Harley was beginning to feel like her old self again, thanks to the thought of someone finally helping her rescue Sophie. She had to escape from the asylum as fast as she could and return to the Joker. She knew he probably had the shock of his life to return to the hideout and find her missing. Harley didn't want to make him sick with worry - like the way she was with Sophie. As the hours ticked on, Harley contemplated her escape, and felt antsy as she waited for the right moment. She didn't have to wait long, as she spotted one of the security guards on his hourly patrol. She jumped up from her bed as he approached her cell.

"Hey, hey!" Harley cried, loudly, waving her arms in panic. "You gotta help me! I...I think I'm having a...heart attack!" She clutched her chest as the guard rushed over to her cell. "Oh, ow, it hurts, it hurts!" She wailed, rolling around on the floor, dramatically.

The guard gasped and in a moment, whipped out his key card, swiped it on the door, and rushed inside the cell and down to Harley's side. "Miss Quinzel, are you alright?" He gasped, placing hand on her shoulder.

Harley grinned, grabbed his arm and flung him over in the air, making his crash into the bed. He cracked his head on the side of the bed, knocking him out. She jumped up, grinning. "I am _now!_ Thanks, pal!"

Harley slinked out of her cell and down the hallway, careful to dodge the other guards. She made her way to the storage area where the confiscated costumes and toys from the inmates were stowed. She found her costume and her fun little trinkets, grabbed them, and headed back out, her heart full of glee.

"Hey, where's Sorkin? I thought he was patrolling this way?" Harley heard a guard ask. She heard footsteps, then shouts of, "Harley Quinn's escaped! Sound the alarm!"

As Harley made her way down a hallway, she ran into two more guards. "Uh-oh, that's my cue to hurry up!" She grinned at the guards. "Top of the evening to ya!"

Harley somersaulted in the direction of the two guards, knocking them down as the security alarm blared in her ears. She raced through the building and made her way towards the entrance, but gasped in annoyance. There, standing outside of the door, were two unmistakable silhouettes - Batgirl and Robin, who seemed to be talking to one of the main night guards at his station.

"Oh, gimme a _break!"_ Harley cried out. "There's no _way_ those two coulda gotten here _that_ fast!" She angrily rushed out the doors, knocking both Barbara and Tim off their feet. They were definitely taken by surprise, as neither of them expected to see Harley outside of the asylum before they broke her out.

_"Harley?"_ Tim cried, jumping to his feet. "But how did you-"

"Because I'm smart, Birdboy, unlike you, apparently," Harley said, pointing her gun at Tim and Barbara. Harley didn't notice that the guard, who should have been wide awake, had been knocked out cold with a sleeping bomb defused by Tim.

"Wait, Harley! We just want to-" Barbara began.

Harley shot her gun, and out flew two ropes which bound Tim and Barbara together. "I _know_ what you wanna do. _You_ wanna send me back to the asylum! You don't think I don't know the routine already? Well, ya _ain't_ doing it _this_ time! I've gotta find Mister J, ASAP! We're gonna get Sweetie Pie back, and _you_ two aren't stopping me!"

"But, _Harley!"_ Tim yelled angrily after her.

It was no use, as Harley had already sprinted away. She had never felt happier, not only because she thought she'd foiled the plan of the Bat children of sending her back, but because she was finally going to get the help she needed and was going to see Sophie again, which warmed her heart again.

_

Back at their hideout, the Joker was even more annoyed after he had found out Harley had been taken to the asylum. He has specifically told her not to do anything stupid, but obviously, she hadn't listened to him. He noticed Sophie was missing as well, but that didn't interest him at all, and he was quite pleased she was gone. Then, he wouldn't have to deal with her without Harley around. After thinking about it a little longer, he was thoroughly enjoying the peace and quiet without either of the girls there. As he stomped on the hula skirt which had been strewn on the floor, the door to the hideout burst open, and Harley appeared, fully costumed and in make-up.

She rushed to him, panicking and out of breath. "Puddin'!"

The Joker laughed, a grin forming on his face as he scooped her up into a hug. "Oh, you clever little minx. You escaped from Arkham all on your own. That's wonderful. I was just...I was just thinking of a way to bust you out. Where's the kid?"

"Oh, Puddin'!" Harley cried. "We got _no_ time to lose! While you were gone, some goons kidnapped her!"

The Joker gasped. "Kidnapped? Are you _serious?_ _Who_ in their right mind would kidnap a kid dressed like a clown?"

"I dunno, Mister J! Some guy named Burgundy," Harley said, her heart racing.

The Joker wrinkled his nose. "Burgundy, huh? What kind of a name is Burgundy? He must have had issues with his mother."

"It's his _last_ name, Puddin', but that's beside the point! I think they're gonna _kill_ her!" Harley said urgently, grabbing his arm. "He said he had orders from his boss, but...I don't even know who his boss, _is!"_

The Joker jerked his arm away from Harley, knocking her to the ground. "So, let's remember to send them a _lovely_ little thank-you gift basket for getting rid of her, once we find out, okay?"

Harley gasped, her eyes wide. "W-what do ya mean, Puddin'? We...we gotta _save_ her!"

"I'm not saving _anybody,_ Pooh. Let Bargunly or whatever his name is and his boss have some fun with the kid. It's just one less annoyance around here," the Joker said stiffly.

Harley gasped, loudly. "Oh, Puddin'! You don't mean that! She's...she's gonna _die!_ We have to _do_ something!"

The Joker growled angrily at Harley, making her flinch. He jerked her up to her feet by her headpiece. "I'm not doing a _darn_ thing, Harl. I'm sick of you thinking _you_ call the shots around here. You can just get out, and don't come back until you get the idea of a rescue mission for the brat out of your system! But just a warning to you, don't come crawling to me for help, 'cause I'm _not_ giving it!"

Devastated, Harley trudged out of the hideout, her eyes full of sad and angry tears. She now had no idea what to do. She had no leads, and with no one to help her, she felt more helpless than ever. ''I need help, I need help," she mumbled, walking down the dark streets. "What do people who when they need help?" She paused for a moment, then burst into a grin. "Well, it's worth a shot!"

Barbara and Tim had since escaped from Harley's binds and fled the scene, but Tim was fuming once more. After all of that, they never got the information from Harley they desperately needed. "I can't believe she thought we were trying to send her back!" He cried angrily. "I mean, of all the _stupid-_"

Barbara smiled a little. "I mean, you gotta understand where she's coming from. She probably just got spooked, that's all. But in the meantime, we've got other problems," Barbara said, pointing to the sky at the Batsignal which was now shining brightly against the night sky.

Reluctantly, Tim followed Barbara and they made their way towards it, wondering what crime had been committed at that time. As bad as he knew it was, Tim had no interest in helping capture any other bank robber or crook unless it was the one who took Sophie.

Tim sighed heavily as they soared through the air on their grapples. "But, what about Sophie? What're we gonna do about that? With Harley gone, we have no way of knowing _anything!"_

"Don't worry, we'll think of something," said Barbara, as they landed on the top of the building. They looked around for her father or anyone else who could have switched the signal on, but they saw no one. "That's odd,"" said Barbara, shutting off the light. "Who would turn on the signal and then leave?"

"Somebody who isn't exactly a friend of the law," said Harley, appearing from behind the light.

Tim and Barbara gasped and readied themselves with their weapons. They weren't taking any chances that time.

"Look, guys," said Harley. "I know we have our differences...and I try and kill you on a regular basis, but this is serious, now. I can't believe I'm saying this, but...I need your help. Bad. Ya see, S-"

Tim crossed his arms over his chest. "We _know,_ already, Harley. Sweetie Pie has been kidnapped! _Geez!_ I mean, why do you think we-"

"We'll help you find her," Barbara interrupted. She figured the less Harley knew about their attempted break-in of Arkham Asylum, the better.

Harley's eyes got wide, and she gasped, happily. "Oh, you _will_? _Really?_ Oh gee, you two are the _best!"_

"Just remember, though,"" Barbara interrupted, carefully. "The _only_ reason we're helping you is because _you're_ the only one who knows any information about what happened, _and_ a young girl's life is at stake."

Harley grinned and nodded. "Sure sure. Whatever you say, B-girl. So come on then, let's go!"

"I'm not finished yet," Barbara replied. "After we help you, you _have_ to return back to Arkham where you belong. You're technically still a patient there, whether you escaped or not. And..." Barbara paused for a split second before she spoke again. "I'm taking Sophie back to the orphanage where she can find a family to take care of her."

Harley narrowed her eyes. "Going back to Arkham isn't a problem, Bratgirl, and I'll _gladly_ do it if it means getting my little sweetie back. But, you're _not_ gonna take her back to the orphanage. That's big _no-no._ I...I adopted her, right? Sure, I don't got no papers or nothing, but when we took her in, I took the responsibility to take care of her!"

Tim scoffed, the snooty pre-teen in him coming out full force. "Oh, yeah, right. You _really_ took care of her, didn't you?"

Harley bawled her fists up, angrily. "Do ya think I'm _happy_ about this, you stupid little _brat?"_ Her eyes filled with angry tears. "Do ya think I _wanted_ this to happen? Do ya think I _wanted_ a nut job working for an even _bigger_ nut job to take a huge piece of my heart away from me? The guilt is _killing_ me up inside, especially when nobody in this stinkin' town is willing to help me!"

Barbara smiled, gently. "Look, we _are_ going to help you, okay? But, under _one_ condition." Barbara bit her lip a little before she continued. _"Sorry."_

Harley looked confused for a moment. "Huh? What kinda condition is sorry?"

Before Harley could speak again, Barbara kicked her right in her head, knocking her out cold.

When Harley awoke a little while later, she felt a stinging pain in her head. She gripped her temple, groaning in pain as she sat up. _"Sheesh,_ Bratgirl. What'd you do, hit me with a ton of _bricks?"_ When Harley's vision cleared, she blinked her eyes a few times just to be sure she wasn't dreaming. When her suspicions were confirmed, she gasped and jumped up, squealing like a kid in a candy store. "Am I...am I...really IN THE BATHOUSE? Oh my _God!"_

Indeed, Barbara and Tim had taken Harley into the Batcave, solely because they needed her to give them as much information as possible about who had kidnapped Sophie.

Tim covered his ears at her screaming. "Yes, you're in the Batcave, but if you don't stop shouting you're gonna collapse the whole thing!"

Harley covered her mouth in obedience. "Smmrr," She replied, which was a muffled equivalent of, "Sorry."

Barbara sighed and turned back to the computer she had been sitting at. "So, let's get started, Harley. What exactly happened?""

"Wmmm, wmmmrt, ggrekhe, btssf, svniuhtvt," Harley said, her mouth still covered by her own hand.

"_Move your hand_!" Tim and Barbara cried out in annoyance. Harley could really be dense sometimes.

Harley jerked her hand back. "Oops, sorry. Well, like I was saying, after Mr. J left for Metropolis, one of our henchmen gave us a note after they'd gone out on the town. It was requesting Sophie and I go down to Gotham Bay and meet him about a job. So, we get down there, and it's just some stupid guy we never heard of called Burgundy."

"Burgundy?" asked Barbara.

"What kinda name is-" began Tim.

"His mother probably hated him, I dunno. It's his last name anyway, ya twerp. Look, that's not important!" Harley cried, angrily. "So, this guy says he used to teach at Gotham Uni but got kicked out."

Barbara began entering information into the computer, and within a few seconds, had pulled up his record. "Here it is. Eggbert Burgundy was a professor at Gotham University, until he was fired after an incident with disorderly conduct and several accounts of student endangerment."

"_Eggbert_?" Harley said, crinkling her nose. "Geez, I guess his mother really _did_ hate him!"

Barbara continued to scan the article for information. "Okay, so we know who the guy is, but what connection does he have with _you,_ Harley? He wasn't a teacher when you attended."

"And why would _anybody_ wanna kidnap Sophie?" asked Tim.

Harley bit her lip. "I dunno! But, he said he was working for somebody _else._ He said his boss wanted to do some tests on her. He said he wanted to test her until she...until she..." Harley's voice quivered, and she stopped speaking.

_"Tests?"_ Barbara repeated, curiously. "Who would need to run tests on someone, and _who_ would have the means to do so?"

Tim thought for a moment. "A doctor?"

"A doctor? But...but," said Harley, clearly more confused than she should be. "She's not sick!"

Barbara sighed. "Not _yet,_ but from the sound it, if we don't hurry, she probably _will_ be!"

Harley gulped, forcing the tears not to start flowing in front of her enemies. "I just don't get it! Who would wanna hurt a sweet little kid like her?"

Barbara sighed heavily. "We need to think, here. Do you have any enemies, Harley?"

Tim scoffed at the ridiculousness of the question. This was Harley Quinn they were talking about. She wasn't exactly one of the most likable people in Gotham.

"I _mean,"_ Barbara said, her teeth gritted at Tim. "Anyone who might have a personal vendetta against you or Sophie? A special gripe, grudge...that sorta thing?"

Harley shook her head. "Nah, not that I know of." She put her finger to her lip and thought for a moment before she spoke. "I mean, _sure,_ I've shot at people, robbed, vandalized, but I think I piss off everybody equally, y'know? I can't think of..." Suddenly, her eyes got wide, and she gasped, covering her mouth with her hand in shock. She felt the color drain from her face. "Oh my_ God!_"

_"What?_ What is it?" Tim cried, in a panic. Given the look on Harley's face, he wasn't sure he wanted to hear.

Harley removed her hand, her heart beating wildly. "S-scarecrow."

_"Scarecrow?"_ repeated Barbara and Tim.

"It's him. It's _gotta_ be him. He...and Mister J were working together on something big, but he wanted more money than Mister J wanted to give him. Crane was pissed, naturally, and Sophie and I didn't make matters any better, 'cause we were joking about it. Especially _me_!" Harley couldn't stop the tears as they fell from her eyes. "I _really_ pissed him off, and he threatened me. He said had many ways of making me suffer because I insulted him so much." Both Tim and Barbara were at a loss for words as Harley sat down on the cold ground, crying a little more. After a moment, she was able to regain some composure before she began speaking again. She wiped her eyes with the back of her hand, and when she spoke, it was like she could barely form the words. "Scarecrow hired Burgundy and his men to set up a fake job so they could take Sophie. Scarecrow kidnapped her because he knew how much she means to me. He said he had some new, stronger fear toxin he'd invented but hadn't tested it, yet. He's...he's gonna use his new toxins on Sophie, I just _know_ it. He's gonna kill her because he wants to make me suffer. Just like he said!"

Barbara and Tim looked at each other, worriedly. They both knew Harley was right, and they both knew Scarecrow had probably already begun his testing. They were running out of time, with absolutely no leads whatsoever to where the Scarecrow might be.


	13. Where in the World is Sophie Pieska?

Harley's heart had almost exploded from happiness after finally finding the help she most desperately needed. She was certain as soon as she had the Batkids on her side, it would be easy peasy finding and rescuing her precious Sophie. With the three as an unstoppable team, Harley knew it was only a matter of time before everything was alright again, and she felt a great relief knowing they would find her, soon. Although now, they faced yet another problem...they _couldn't_ find her. It seemed like she, Tim, and Barbara searched every square inch of Gotham City, but they weren't able to find a single thing. Harley had even hunted down as many of the other rogues as she could find, casually questioning them about where Dr. Crane might be, but none of them had any leads at all. This frustrated Harley even more than anything, and after a huge, (yet unintentional) angry explosion of choice words and fist flinging she'd given Edward Nigma, she found Barbara and Tim once again to relay the information...or lack-thereof.

"Why don't we just let Scarecrow _know_ we're looking for him?" Tim remarked. It had, after all, been their third day of useless searching. "I mean, let _him_ come out of the woodwork instead of us searching blindly though the entire city? 'Cause obviously, t_hat's_ not working so well for us."

Barbara shook her head in disagreement. "I'm afraid that's too risky. Scarecrow might get spooked, and if he hasn't already, he might just go ahead and...uh..." she glanced at Harley, who bit her lip, nervously anticipating the next words out of her mouth. In the end, Barbara decided against what she had previously been wanting to say. "Well, it's just too risky."

Harley angrily stamped her foot on the ground like a little child. "God, _why_ can't they be at the last place we met them together? That old warehouse was dark and secluded, it was like, the _perfect_ hideout!"

Tim and Barbara shared a Look.

"Uh, _what_ warehouse?" Tim asked.

Harley sighed. "Oh, when Mister J was meeting with Scarecrow, they were doing their business from some old warehouse down at the docks. You know, dark, creepy, secluded...just the kinda places we like to hangout in."

Barbara groaned, loudly. "Harley, if you _knew_ Scarecrow had been there, _why_ didn't you tell us before now?"

Harley was honestly confused as she looked from the angry face of Tim to the angry face of Barbara. "Uh...I guess I didn't think about it. I mean, why would they go back to _that_ old place?"

"Well, maybe because they _need_ a place that's dark, creepy, and secluded?" Tim said, annoyed at the days they'd wasted on the wild goose chase when Harley possibly had the exact location of where they needed to be looking. "So come on, let's try it. I'm sick of these dead ends!"

Luckily, Harley was able to take them down to the docks in no time at all, silently hoping her "fluke" would prove useful. Sure enough, she gasped loudly as she noticed a group of thugs standing around the warehouse. The three hid in the shadows and watched from the rooftop. Harley wanted to pounce, though, the moment she realized Burgundy was among the thugs. She felt like a cat on the hunt, one who had eyed her prey.

"Look, that's _him_!" Harley hissed, angrily, her fists clenched. "That's Burgundy, the creep who took the job from Scarecrow! Let's go, so I can tear his head off and enjoy it!"

Barbara held out her hand and stopped Harley from moving an inch. She pointed towards the thugs. "Wait a minute, Harley. Something's going on with them, look!"

Barbara was right, as they noticed Burgundy slowly start to back up with his hands up in the air. They gasped as they saw the thugs pull out their guns and aim it at him.

"_Oh,_ no they don't!" Harley cried, and before Barbara or Tim could stop her, she leaped down from the roof, expertly landing on top of one of the thugs. Barbara and Tim followed immediately after, and they all had their hands full dodging gunshots, fists, and feet.

During all the chaos, Harley was the only one who noticed Burgundy had started to escape. While Barbara and Tim took care of the rest of the thugs, Harley snatched a gun from one of the unconscious thugs and began chasing after him, her blood boiling with more rage she ever knew existed.

Burgundy thought he was home free, until Harley jumped right in front of him. He gasped, loudly. "_You_?" He saw the crazed look in Harley's eyes, and he backed up, nervously. "What the _hell_ are you doing here? You're supposed to be _dead_!"

Harley's teeth were clenched in anger as she pointed the gun at him. "Sorry to disappoint you, darling, but it would take a _lot_ more than a few ropes and stone block to get rid of Harley Quinn!"

Burgundy laughed, nervously. "Well, thank God for that. I mean...y-you _did_ stop those guys from killing me, after all."

"The _only_ reason I stopped them from killing you was so that I could kill you _myself_," Harley said, spatting out the words with so much hatred, Burgundy started to feel even more uneasy.

Burgundy laughed again, but much more nervously than before. "Y-you're not still sore about...about my other job, are ya? Look, Crane offered me a really good price to kidnap a kid! I didn't know her, I just needed the money, ya know? Y-you're a crook, you know how it works. Money is everything. I didn't care what happened to some kid I didn't know, I just wanted my money!" He backed up again, as the anger in Harley's eyes seemed to multiply upon hearing his words. "Aw, come on. It's nothing personal! I...I had no choice, okay? I _couldn't_ say no to Scarecrow. You _know_ what he's like...he's...he's _crazy_!" Burgundy gulped. "Call the cops, throw me in jail. Beat me to a pulp! Or, do _both,_ if you want!"

Harley shook her head and smiled, calmly. "Oh no. Your punishment must be more severe." She cocked the gun with a click, and her eyes lit with rage. "Gimme _one_ good reason why I shouldn't fill your head with lead right now, ya jerk."

Burgundy began to sweat bullets, until he brightened and snapped his fingers. "Hey, I can tell you where Scarecrow is! I know where they took her. If you promise not to kill me, I'll tell you _exactly_ where they are, okay?"

That was just what Harley wanted to hear, and she slowly lowered the gun. "Now you're talking. You have my word. I _promise_ I won't kill you." She could see the relief flush over his face the moment the words left her mouth.  
>"Okay, okay listen. They're hiding out in that old run-down science museum, The House of Science. Ya know, the one down in the trashy part of Gotham? I know for a <em>fact<em> that's where they are. I saw 'em with my own two eyes. The kid's still alive, too, last I heard," Burgundy said, with a relaxed smile.

Harley smiled, widely. "Gee, thanks for the info, pal. I owe ya one!" Suddenly, she lifted the gun and shot him straight in his leg without another word.

Burgundy howled in pain and fell to the ground, gripping his injured leg. Barbara and Tim raced over at that moment, after having taken care of the other thugs.

"I said I wouldn't kill ya..but I never said I wouldn't _hurt_ ya just a little," said Harley, with a grin.

"_Harley!_" gasped Barbara, quite in shock.

Harley waved her hand to silence her. She pointed to the street, where several police cars were approaching. "Look there, he'll be fine once they get him to a doctor. Anyway, this fat rat spilled the beans, and I know where Scarecrow is! Let's go, n_ow!_"

Morally, Barbara knew it was wrong to leave Burgundy in the condition he was in, but Harley did have a point. He would be sent to the hospital in a matter of moments, and she knew they were running out of time if they wanted to see Sophie alive. Reluctantly, she and Tim dashed away as fast as they could, but Harley hesitated a moment. She took one last glance at Burgundy, fury and emotion still in her eyes. She pointed the gun at him once more and shot him in the other leg, causing him to howl in even more intense, agonizing pain.

Harley chuckled a little. "Aw, come on. It's nothing _personal._" Harley threw the gun down near his head and started to walk away, but turned to him one last time, her tassles flicking. "Guess you shoulda realized who the crazy one _really_ was."


	14. Breaking in isn't Hard to Do

No matter how athletic Barbara and Tim thought they were, they both could barely keep up with Harley as she rapidly led them to the building, eager to get Sophie back after all that time. She had a newfound energy inside of her that was suddenly awakened. She felt she could run a marathon if she needed to. Barbara and Tim knew in the backs of their minds there was a chance Burgundy had lied to save his own skin upon being confronted, and they hoped for his sake, he didn't. Otherwise, no amount of security would be able to protect him from Harley's wrath that would follow soon after. They were almost out of breath when they finally found the building, and the sky had began to grow darker, a cold wind beginning to blow. The three perched on top of a nearby rooftop as they gazed upon their destination. It looked completely deserted, and Barbara bit her lip, nervously.

Harley's heart beat wildly with excitement as she noticed a few burly, suspicious-looking men in walk out of the door, and Barbara sighed with relief. At least they were onto something.

"Look there, ya see that?" Harley gasped, jabbing her finger at the two men. "That creep _was_ telling the truth! They gotta be in there! They just _gotta_!"

Tim was growing more anxious after each passing second they wasted, especially now that they knew they'd indeed come to the right place . "So, what're we _waiting_ for? Let's _go_!" He had been worried about Sophie more than he wanted to let on, but now, seeing as they were so close, he would have just assumed broken down the door at that very moment. "Waiting outside isn't finding Sophie any faster!"

"I _really_ can't believe I'm saying this, but I agree with Birdboy. Let's get a move on!" Harley added, bouncing with anticipation like a little child. "Let's ambush the place and be done with it!"

Barbara sucked in a heavy breath as her eyes carefully scanned the building. Obviously, she was going to have to be the voice of reason on this mission since her two partners were obviously more in an "act now, ask questions later" mind-set. They were clearly ready to just bomb the place as soon as possible.

"Not so fast, you two," said Barbara, calmly. "I bet that place is loaded with goons on every floor. We can't draw any attention to ourselves just yet, not until we know where Sophie is, and if she's okay."

Harley gritted her teeth angrily. "But-"

"But _nothing_!" Barbara suddenly exploded, startling both Harley and Tim. "If they know we're coming, they'll probably make a run for it, and we might _never_ find her!" Barbara glanced at Harley after her sudden outburst, and saw Harley's eyes begin to water. Harley quickly glanced at the ground. Barbara felt her heart soften, and she sighed, speaking more gently. "Okay, look. We can sneak in from one of those upstairs windows, but be _quiet_. Don't attack anyone until we find Sophie, got it?" Barbara eyed Tim, who had balled his fists a little, ready for action. "That goes for the _both_ of you."

Tim and Harley glanced at each other and nodded.

Harley, Barbara, and Tim made their way towards the museum effortlessly, but after breaking a window and entering the building, they now had the difficult task of locating Sophie without the thugs knowing they were there. As they crept around their dark, dusty surroundings, Harley smiled to herself. She knew if Sophie had been there with them, she would have complained about how dark and scary it was, but would insist she was brave. Harley missed her terribly, and it made her heart ache to imagine the awful kinds of things Scarecrow could have done to her. The faster they could find her, the better. The trio searched rooms and dodged thugs, until they came upon a door which read: _Theater Viewing Area_. Barbara carefully pushed the door open, biting her lip as it loudly creaked. They entered the room, glancing around to make sure they weren't being followed. It took a moment for their eyes to adjust to the extremely bright flourescent lights which were on the ceiling, but when they finally did, all three of them gasped loudly. They were standing up on a high viewing balcony, and there, on the ground floor below them, was Sophie, strapped down on an operating table. Both Harley and Tim would have jumped down from the balcony at that moment had Barbara not put a finger to her lips and motioned for them to crouch down behind the chairs upon hearing voices from below.

"Before we do _anything_," Barbara whispered, almost inaudibly, "we need to see what we're dealing with."

Harley knew Barbara was right. She just nodded her head in agreement. Harley glanced down, and her eyes filled with tears as she saw Sophie quietly sobbing. Even from the balcony, Harley could see the pain she was in. Sophie looked drowsy and confused, the tears flowing almost automatically. Her hair was mostly blonde again, with most of the blue she usually wore having been washed away, only a few streaks remained. Save a few traces of pink on her cheeks, the rest of her make-up was gone as well. Her costume had been ripped and torn in many places, and she had circle-shaped bruise all over both her arms, a few spots on her neck, and on her legs, which we almost perfectly placed with the tears in her outfit.

Scattered on a metal tray beside her were numerous needles, spray bottles, pills, and pads of papers. Beside the papers was her pink mask. Scarecrow had removed Sophie's mask simply because he wanted to see the terror in her eyes during the experiments without anything in the way. Suddenly, the door to the room opened, and Scarecrow entered, holding a roll of shiny silver duct tape in his hand. Harley's whole body tensed up upon seeing him, and she clenched her fists together, angrily. She had been thinking of all the ways to kill him since she'd discovered he was the one who had ordered Sophie to be kidnapped. Barbara put her hand on Harley's shoulder, motioning for her not to do anything crazy.

Sophie began murmuring from the table as soon as Scarecrow came closer to her. "I...I'm done playing hide-and-seek, now. The marshmallows...are gone. They...swam away. They just swam away!"

Scarecrow chuckled to himself and set the roll of tape on the table. "I know, darling. I saw them. They swam right away, didn't they?"

Sophie nodded, slowly. "They swam with...the giraffes. I wanna go, too."

"You're not going anywhere," Scarecrow said, flatly. He picked up one of the pads of paper off the table and began looking at it, ignoring the fresh tears Sophie was now crying. "We're due for another round of testing, you know."

"No, no more shots, please!" Sophie pleaded. "No more tests, no more shots!"

Scarecrow laughed a little louder, this time. "Sorry, child, but you don't have a say in the matter, I'm afraid."

From the balcony, Tim stood up angrily, fists clenched as well. Barbara shoved him back onto the ground just as fast as he had stood up. Harley, on the other hand, couldn't move an inch. She could barely take hearing the pain in Sophie's voice and she wiped her eyes with the back of her hand, sniffing quietly. She wondered how long they had to wait before they could pounce on them, and hoped it wouldn't be long. She was ready to take Sophie into her arms at the very moment and never let her go.

"Come now," said Scarecrow with an evil chuckle. "Don't you want to sing the song, little bird? You know how much like I like it. It helps me work better."

"I'm not...I'm not a little bird..." Sophie cried, quietly. "I don't wanna...s-sing. I just wanna go...home!"

Scarecrow tapped his foot on the ground, impatiently. "Don't be difficult again, little one. Sing the song, and then you can fly away home, okay?"

Sophie looked up at Scarecrow, her eyes wide. "D-do you promise?"

Harley flinched when she heard Sophie ask the question, remembering the promise she had made to Sophie more than a week earlier that nothing would happen to her. Fresh tears formed in her eyes, and she was embarrassed to show the Batkids just how emotionally vulnerable she was at that time. She tried to wipe the tears away as fast as she could before they noticed. She didn't have to worry, though, as both Tim and Barbara were so angrily focused on Scarecrow to pay attention to anything else.

"Yes, little sweetie bird, I promise you can go home. I'm almost done with my testing, now, anyway," Scarecrow said with an evil grin. "But, you know, you were very naughty for trying to run away, and you made everything much harder on yourself because of it."

Sophie took in a deep breath. "But..I wanted to go home. To Harley! Please... She is...Harley is..."

"Shh, quiet now, child, and sing the song. Don't make me break my promise and not let you go home to your friend Harley," said Scarecrow, tapping the pencil on the pad of paper. "But, you know, Harley doesn't miss you at all."

Sophie's eyes got wide. "What? Yes...yes she does!"

Scarecrow shook his head. "Don't you remember what I told you a few days ago, sweetie? Harley was so happy you were gone, she had a huge celebration. She's so much happier without you. In fact, I hate to say this, but she didn't even like you very much."

Harley felt like someone had punched her in the stomach after hearing the vicious words from Scarecrow.

"No...it's not...it's not true!" Sophie cried, almost angrily. "Harley does like me! She does, she _does!_"

Scarecrow threw the notepad down on the table, making Sophie flinch. He roughly grabbed her by face, anger in his dark eyes. "Are you calling me a l_iar_, child?"

Sophie gasped loudly, utterly terrified. "No, no I-I'm not!" She cried out in terror. Sophie's eyes opened wide with fright, and at that moment it was clear, at least to Scarecrow, who was in close contact with her, that the color of her eyes had changed. Her normally deep blue eyes had become just a shade darker, almost cloudy-like. "I'm...I'm sorry! I don't like peas! _Please_ don't make me eat them!"

Scarecrow let go of her face and sighed. Sophie cried even more after his earlier angry outburst, and her whole body trembled in fear.

"Well, now that we're clear on _that_, I'm ready to begin, again. I will _not_ ask you again. Sing the song, _now_!" Scarecrow barked, angrily, making Sophie jump as he slammed his fists down on the metal table with a loud _bang_.

Sophie took in another deep, shaky breath and shut her eyes, tightly. After few seconds, she opened her eyes and began to sing, slowly and softly. "Hush, now, sweetie...don't say a word. Scarecrow's gonna kill...a little mockingbird." Sophie began crying a little after the lines. "A-and if that mockingbird won't...cry, Scarecrow's gonna make her wish she'd die. And if that bird will fly away, Scarecrow is gonna...Scarecrow is gonna make her pay."

Sophie began crying a little more as she finished the sick song, watching Scarecrow eye all the different toxins and medicine he could use. She was anticipating which one he would choose, and it made her feel nauseous already.

"You know, sweetie," Scarecrow said after a moment. "I just _love_ that song so much. Sing it again, won't you? I still can't decide which toxin I'm going to use now. I'm in a little need of some...inspiration."

Harley shut her eyes tightly, and the tears she was holding back shot down her cheeks from the force of it. She clenched her fists, tightly. She opened her eyes and glared at Barbara. "Listen, Bratgirl. I've had enough of waiting it out," she hissed angrily. "That sick _freak_ is in a _serious_ need of a beat down. I'm _outta_ here!" With that, Harley stood up and raced out of the room, ready to take down anything and everything in her way.

Tim looked at Barbara without hesitation and scoffed, almost in a chuckle. "I'm with _her_!"

Tim followed behind Harley, and Barbara soon after. She agreed with the others: now was the time for action. They dashed through the museum, ready to find the entrance. They barged in on the unsuspecting thugs, who didn't stay unsuspecting for long. Harley's rage had built to the point where she was surprised she didn't break every bone in their bodies after hitting them out of her way. She was running on pure adrenaline, and found herself with the strength of two Harleys as she bashed and attacked, frantically trying to find the entrance they so desperately seeked.

Sophie had somehow managed to sing Scarecrow's demented song once more, and unfortunately, as Scarecrow had said, it gave him the inspiration he needed.

"Oh, what a sweet little song for such a sweet little girl," Scarecrow said with a laugh, tearing off a piece of duct tape from the huge roll. "Now, this next test might make you a little more noisy than I'd like, so I'm afraid you're going to have to be silenced." He snickered a little. "After all, we'd _hate_ for anyone to hear you and try to save you., wouldn't we?"

Sophie cried a little more after hearing his words. "But, you said I could go home if I...sing! You said I could go home!"

Scarecrow grinned, again. "So, I _lied_." He carefully taped Sophie's mouth shut, even as she struggled to get away. Once he finished, his eyes scanned the table full of his nasty syringes. "Now, here. _Here's_ the one. I'm going to use...this one." He picked up a syringe filled with bright orange liquid. "I call this new little gem, "Day Nightmares." He squeezed the needle to release the air bubbles, and grinned at Sophie as she struggled under the belts, her eyes wide with terrible fright. "'Day Nightmares.' Isn't that such a nifty little name?"

Sophie whimpered helplessly as the tears flowed down her face.

"Don't worry, sweetie. This will be fun, I promise." He then lifted a tiny spray bottle filled with liquidy-white contents similar to milk and sprayed Sophie directly in her face. Sophie closed her eyes as the spray, which upon contact with air had turned to mere white smoke floated near her. "Now, don't be afraid, child. This is the spray you like, remember? This little gem lets you feel just like normal again...for awhile at least."

After a few inhalations of the smoke, Sophie blinked her eyes for a moment. Then blinked again. After a moment, she looked around her, obviously very confused, almost as if she didn't remember where she was. Although upon seeing Scarecrow, she felt faint. Scarecrow had been right - his white spray had cured her of her confusion from his previous tests, but her fear of the Scarecrow upon their first meeting was still there, and now that she was more mentally aware, her fear came back just after seeing him. Suddenly, they both heard the sounds of loud grunting, gasping, yelling, and cursing. Scarecrow jumped in surprise as they heard the clear sounds of bodies being thrown and materials being broken. Scarecrow put the needle down and reached into his jacket, patting something reassuringly. Before they could react, Tim raced into the room, out of breath.

"_You_?" Scarecrow gasped, backing up in both shock and excitement. "The Boy Wonder? Oh, does that mean Batman is nearby, too?"

Tim shot his rope gun at Scarecrow without a word, binding him tightly. He rushed over to Sophie and removed the tape on her mouth. He started to loosen the belts on the table as fast as he could. "'Fraid not, you weirdo."

"Weirdo, is it? That's not very polite, son," said the Scarecrow, smiling evily, even if he had just been bound with no means of escape.

"Robin! How'd you find me so..._fast_?" Sophie asked, surprisingly. "Do you guys have like Bat Radar or something? I mean...I remember, I was with Harley in the morning...and then there were these terrible thugs and they..." Sophie gasped in shock, her mind seemingly going at a hundred miles per hour. "Oh my gosh, Harley! Is she, is she okay? Those guys said they were gonna..."

Tim loosed the belts on her arms with a smile. "She's fine. She's been worried half to death about you all this time."

Sophie blinked again. "All this time? What...what do you mean? It's only been a few hours!"

Tim smiled a little."Actually, Scarecrow kidnapped you about a week and a half ago. Had Harley worried sick!"

Sophie's eyes got wide upon hearing this. "But...hey, you didn't capture her, did you?" She felt an angry feeling seep into her body after realizing that it very well could be the case - that Robin and Batgirl had captured her and had thrown her in jail.

"No way," Robin said, grinning, finally freeing Sophie from her binds. "She and Batgirl are taking care of a little pest problem around here as we speak."

"Harley's _here_?" Sophie cried, her eyes filling with happy tears as she jumped off the table. She absolutely couldn't believe it. "Oh, you're _amazing_, Robin!" Sophie grabbed him in a tight hug, and he blushed a bright shade of pink. She smiled slyly after a second. "And you know, I have something _else_ to give you from the last time we met."

Before Tim could say another word, Sophie stood on her toes and softly kissed him on his lips, then slowly released him. "That's part two."

Tim felt his entire body blush, the worst he'd ever had, he was sure of it. He felt light-headed and almost fainted right onto the floor after the sweet kiss.

"Holy moly cannoli, look what we missed after just a couple of minutes!" Harley cried, grinning. Her makeup had almost been completely smudged off, and pieces of her blonde hair stuck out from under her hat. She had apparently fought...and fought hard.

Sophie gasped loudly, turning around. When she saw Harley standing in the room, she was almost unable to contain herself. "Oh, _Harley_!" Sophie cried, her voice so giddy, a few giggles escaped. "You really _are_ here!" She began to run to Harley, as fast as a fox.

The next chain of events happened so fast, it was almost unbelievable for anyone. In a flash, Scarecrow slashed the ropes which bound him and threw a tiny black bomb towards Harley, Barbara, Tim, and Sophie. The bombs exploded as soon as they hit the ground, sending out thick gray smoke into the air. Before Sophie could even reach Harley for an embrace, they all were knocked out cold from the toxic gas, falling to the hard, concrete floor. Scarecrow chuckled so much, his entire body shook as he walked towards the now unconscious group. He was ready now, for part two, and was even more satisfied with his new catch.


	15. Welcome to Dr Scarecrow's Pharmacy

Harley, Barbara, and Tim awoke from their toxic slumber at about the same time. They were each surprised as the next to find they were tied tightly to chairs, with thick, sticky duct tape covering their mouths. They were groggy from the effects of the toxin, but their anger was still just as strong as ever. Sophie was still unconscious, strapped right back on the table as she had been before Tim had unbound her.

Scarecrow was standing in front of the three, still chuckling. "Well, it's about time you three useless heroes awoke. I was getting impatient." Barbara angrily mumbled something, her emerald green eyes filled with rage and fury. This only made Scarecrow laugh more, seeing the once proud Batgirl caught like a pathetic little mouse in a trap. "I'm afraid I didn't catch that, Batgirl. You'll have to speak up!"

Snickering, he made his way over to Harley, who would have ripped him to shreds in under five seconds had she not been tied up. "I will say this, Harley. I'm most surprised but most _pleased_ to see you. You cannot imagine my displeasure upon hearing my clueless henchman had ordered you to be...disposed of, and even more so when they told me they had made sure there were _no_ survivors."

He laughed, and shook his head, almost in disbelief. "Now it's like you're back from the dead. Oh, but I _am _so happy for that. You've made my dream come true that you found us, my dear. Having you watch is just the icing on the cake. And I must say, it's _so_ much better that you've brought company. I may even use the annoying Bat family as more test subjects once our sweet little friend here is finished." He glanced at Sophie, then back at Harley. "And by the looks of things, she's not too far off."

Scarecrow reached over and gently woke Sophie, much like a father would wake his sleeping child. He whispered in a calm, almost sweet, soothing voice that it was time to wake, and he softly jostled her shoulders. Sophie slowly opened her eyes, and it took her a few moments to fully wake up. Despite the effects of the white spray, her bloodstream was still already polluted with an awful mixture of the Scarecrow's deadly gems, and the effects of the smoke bomb made her relapse back to her confused state. The amount of toxins her tiny little body had been subjected to over the past week and a half was enough to make even the most skilled doctors cringe with disgust. Sophie gasped a little and tried to free herself from her binds, which of course, proved futile.

"Now, now now. Where did we leave off before we were so _rudely_ interrupted, my sweet?" Scarecrow said with a laugh. "Ah yes, I remember. We were just finishing up some more tests, weren't we? After all, you like the tests, don't you?"

Sophie's eyes filled with hot tears, and she shook her head, slowly. "N-no, please. I don't like them. They...they _hurt_ me!"

Scarecrow grinned and stroked her soft, flushed cheek with his long, bony finger. "Oh, but my dear, sweet child. Things in life are going to hurt every once and awhile. And besides, we have visitors who came to see us! You're going to be a _star!_ I just want to show your little friends what we've been doing here. Especially Harley, I think she'll find it the most entertaining."

Sophie looked confused for a moment. "Harley? Who's...who's Harley?"

Scarecrow sighed in annoyance. "Oh dear, I see the cleansing spray has already worn off, thanks to our horrible, rude guests coming in and crashing our party. Such a pity."

"Hey _wait_ a minute!" Sophie cried suddenly, her voice becoming stern and angry. She glared at Scarecrow with fire in her eyes. "You promised me...you promised we'd go to the zoo! You promised me last year, don't you remember? And I...remember yesterday," Sophie paused for a second and blinked her eyes, hard. "I...I went roller skating.""

Harley, Barbara and Tim's clearly confused expressions made Scarecrow almost jump for joy. He loved explaining his toys and games and didn't waste a moment. "You see, her selective-amnesia is just part of the toxins all getting jumbled around in her system. It comes and goes, especially each time I switch from toxin to my cleansing antitoxin so rapidly as I've been doing since she arrived. I liked to have her clear her mind and get back to normal so I could work with a clean slate every time, but I suppose it was bound to take toll sooner or later. This time her cleansing didn't last very long at all. Disappointing to say the least."

Harley felt her entire body shake from anger, and was surprised she wasn't able to break through her binds just out if an effect of her hot temper.

"But enough about the tired, boring things. We're going to get into the juicy stuff, now," Scarecrow said, again picking up the syringe filled with the bright orange liquid. The moment he picked up the needle, Sophie began to cry again, pleading for Scarecrow not to inject her with it.

"Now, this is my "Day Nightmare" toxin, " Scarecrow said, ignoring the desperate pleas of his hostage. He addressed Harley, Barbara, and Tim much like a professor would address his students. He liked knowing that Sophie had to endure multiple explanations about what he would do to her. "This pretty little cocktail will allow our sweet little subject to be awake, but yet, still have the experience of a nightmare. Sort of like sleeping with her eyes open and having no control over what happens. Won't that be _fun?"_

"No," Sophie gasped, her eyes spilling over with tears. _"Please_ don't!"

Scarecrow again ignored her, and Sophie gasped as he hastily grabbed her arm. He grinned. "Now, this won't hurt a bit. I _promise."_

Scarecrow jammed the needle down into Sophie's arm with tremendous and unnecessary force. Sophie yelped out in pain, another bruise already forming in the place he had jabbed. Scarecrow chuckled and thrust his thumb down onto the end of the syringe, releasing the orange liquid into her body. Within an instant, Sophie gasped a huge breath, and her eyes opened wide, almost as if she was paralyzed from fear. Harley and the others had then been able to see the abnormal color of Sophie's eyes. They had changed at least another shade darker; now they were an even deeper blue than normal, a color close to black. For a moment, Sophie did nothing, didn't move in inch. Her mouth and eyes were open wide, as if she was in shock. Suddenly, she began to thrash around, gasping and shrieking in fear.

"No! Get away from me! Get away!" Sophie screamed in terror, desperately trying free her arms from her binds. "Stop! Get away from me! Get _away!"_ She began breathing hard, as if she had been running. Her eyes were filled with fear, they could all see it.

Sophie was staring straight up at the ceiling, her eyes had yet to divert from that position, but it was as if she really was dreaming. "No...no! I don't have it! I don't have it! Please! Don't put me there! _Please!_ No! No!" Sophie's voice was hoarse as screamed and pleaded with someone...or something. She began to thrash around and scream again, this time, louder than the previous time. "No! No! Don't close the door, don't close the door! Stop! _Stop!"_

Sophie was in pure hysterics by then, screaming as loudly as she could, tears pouring down her face with every gasp of breath she took. She still shrieked and screamed for a few more minutes before Scarecrow finally reached towards the table. He grabbed a tiny bottle of the white spray, but he hesitated, especially when Sophie began thrashing and screaming again. He was enjoying the looks of anger and pity that filled the eyes of Harley, Tim, and Barbara. He hated to make Sophie's torture end, but he knew it must, eventually. While Sophie screamed in terror once more, something about a fire and it being too hot, he calmly sprayed the spray directly into her face. As she inhaled a few times, her eyes slowly closed and her breathing became normal again. Sophie's tear-stained cheeks were flushed because by her latest outburst and her forehead was covered in sweat, but she then looked as if she were in a nice, peaceful sleep.

Scarecrow slowly untied her as he glanced back to his other hostages. He cackled with a laugh that sent shivers down Harley's spine. He laughed very much the same way as the Joker, and she hated it coming from anyone but her puddin.

"Well, now _that_ was interesting, don't you think? I had no idea her dream would be so real. It seemed to be utterly, deliciously _horrifying!I_ guess that toxin gets a big A-plus!" Scarecrow put his hand on top of Sophie's sweaty, clammy forehead with a sigh. "But, it's really no fun unless _I_ can be the one to control the images. I mean, I have no idea what she's just seen. I can imagine it was highly unpleasant, judging from her reactions, though. But, it still takes all the fun out of it." He paused for a second. "After all, I like being in control of fear."

Sophie took a few more deep breaths, then she suddenly opened her eyes and sat up with a start. Scarecrow managed to grin, widely. "Oh great, sweetie. You're awake and alert, again."

Sophie might have been awake, but they could clearly tell she wasn't exactly alert as she had been even when they first arrived. They could see the toll it was taking on her.

Scarecrow turned to the others, ready for his lecture. "Now, pay attention, everybody. My green toxin is a little more fun for me. If everything works well, I get to use a little bit of deception. Here, watch."

Almost immediately after he spoke his last word, Scarecrow had grabbed another syringe filled with bright green liquid and had stuck Sophie on her left leg. She gasped in pain again. The force of the needle ripped her tights a little more, contributing to her already hole-y attire.

A minute after Scarecrow pressed down onto the needle, Sophie breathed deeply once, then she slowly turned and looked at Scarecrow, almost blindly. Her eyes had grown darker still, and it was almost difficult to tell where her irises ended and her pupils began. She stared at Scarecrow for a few moments, but she didn't speak a word. She just stared at him, almost as if she were hypnotized.

"Stand up," Scarecrow demanded.

Sophie never took her eyes off of him as she slowly climbed down from the table.

"Sit down on the floor," he said.

Sophie immediately sat down.

"Now, close your eyes and listen," Scarecrow said sternly.

Instantly, Sophie closed her eyes. She was hanging on Scarecrow's every word.

Scarecrow slowly walked around her, them rubbing his hands together in anticipation. He turned to Harley, Barbara and Tim with a grin. "Now, here comes the _fun_ part." He put his slender hands on Sophie's shoulders, but she didn't even flinch. "Listen to everything I tell you, sweetie. You will hear only my voice. Listen to me, child. You're in a small, enclosed room. There are no doors. It's just a room. "

Sophie took a deep breath, but said nothing.

"It's an elevator. You're trapped in an elevator," his said. "Inside a tiny elevator. You're stuck. Now, open your eyes!"

Sophie opened her eyes as she was commanded, and suddenly, she was no longer in the room with the others. With every word Scarecrow had spoken, Sophie's reality seemed to be altered to exactly what he was saying. She could only see the tiny elevator, when in reality, she was still in the same room as everyone else. But she saw exactly what Scarecrow had told her.

"You're highly claustrophobic, and the walls are closing in on you," said Scarecrow's voice almost as if through a loudspeaker. Sophie began to feel her lungs become tighter, and to her horror, she saw the walls of the elevator start to close in on her, and she held out both her hands in order to try and stop them. "Soon, you'll be crushed by the walls as they come closer and closer to you. You can't breathe, your lungs are caving in," Scarecrow said.

They saw Sophie standing in the middle of the room, completely oblivious to her actual reality that she was in fact safe. It seemed to the others that she was pantomiming everything, even if to her, it was horribly real.

"The walls are still closing on you. Suddenly you see a door behind you," Scarecrow cried, and lead her over to the door of the operating room. He placed her hand on the handle.

In Sophie's mind she saw a tiny door just big enough for her to make it through, and she tried desperately to open it.

"No! Stop!" Sophie screamed, suddenly finding her voice again. "Hey, do you hear me? Open the door! Open the door! I'm stuck in the elevator! Help me! Help!" Sophie struggled and pulled on the door handle until her arms were aching. She banged her fists against the "elevator door", screaming and shouting for anyone to help her, but no one was coming, and she knew she was going to be crushed to death. In her reality, the walls were now almost upon her, and she felt her throat tighten as she gasped for breath. She knew if the walls didn't kill her, she would suffocate to death. "Help me!" Sophie screamed as the walls came closer still. Her lungs felt tighter than they had ever felt, and she collapsed onto the floor, clutching her throat as she tried to breath. She gasped for breath, as she was having an asthma attack. She shocked and gasped until she felt light-headed. She was sure she was going to pass out before the walls crushed her.

"Don't worry, child," said Scarecrow, calming walking over to her as she lay on the floor, almost completely blue in the face. Harley breathed a sign of relief once he sprayed Sophie with the white spray once more. She just wanted her torture to end, somehow. Suddenly, Sophie blinked her eyes a few times, almost as if she were clearing her mind, and looked up at Scarecrow. Her breathing had gone back to normal almost instantly.

Sophie sat up, deeply confused as she blinked her eyes hard a few more times. "Where...where am I?"

Scarecrow smiled and helped her up off the floor, turning to his prisoners with a shruf of his shoulders. "So much for the cleansing spray, huh guys? I guess we've lost her." He patted Sophie on the head, gently. "You're in Switzerland, my dear. You took a trip to see the Berlin Wall in Zurich. "

Sophie smiled and giggled. Her eyes were still just as dark as they had been, but she seemed a little more alert, somehow. "Oh yeah, now I remember! I'm... I'm with my...sister in Prague. I wanted to see the Eiffel Tower, in Czech Republic, right?"

"Exactly," said Scarecrow, grinning at his three hostages, almost embarrassed that they were so helpless and useless during the current moments. He turned to Sophie once more with a smile. "Listen to your uncle Crane, sweetie. It's time to take your medicine, again. We're going to play a game. We're gonna play pharmacy and see how many pills you can take. I've got a good one right here. Won't that be fun?"

Sophie sighed heavily, her shoulders dropping like a defiant teenager. "I don't _want_ any medicine! I don't like it! I bet ya it tastes like dirt! _Bleh_!"

Scarecrow glared at her. "You'll take your medicine when I tell you to take it!"

Sophie giggled and suddenly ran towards Barbara, Tim, and Harley. "I don't wanna play pharmacy. I wanna play with...uh...my friends. Here they are! Look, she looks like a clown, just like me!"

Sophie ripped off Harley's gag with another loud, happy giggle. "Hi! What's your name? I'm...I'm...well, I don't remember what my name is, but that doesn't matter, I guess! We can..." Sophie shut her eyes for a moment, as her head throbbed with pain. Given all the toxins she'd already had, it was lucky her brain was functioning at all. She shook her head, trying to shake the pain away.

"Sweetie," Harley gasped, quickly. "Listen, you have to-"

"Hey, I _really_ like your costume!" Sophie interrupted. "Does _everybody_ wear costumes in...hm. Where are we, again? New Zealand?" She gently removed Harley's headpiece. "Oh, your hat is so, so _cool_!" She tossed it aside, giggling again. She did a few cartwheels around Harley, Barbara and Tim, still laughing up a storm.

Suddenly, Scarecrow grabbed her by her arm, mid-cartwheel. "_Enough_!" Scarecrow cried angrily, startling Sophie. He took a breath. "You be a good little girl and take your medicine. It's time for a pill, now."

"No, don't take it, sweetie!" Harley cried, desperately. "Whatever it is, don't take it!"

Sophie frowned at Harley, and put her hands behind her back like a little child. She blinked her eyes hard. "But, I think I gotta take it. I gotta do what I'm told, or I won't get to go outside and play."

Scarecrow laughed. "You're right, little one. Take your medicine, and you can go out and play in the sunshine."

"Yay!" Sophie giggled loudly and held out her hand. "I get to go out and play!"

"No, he's _lying!"_ Harley cried, as Scarecrow dropped the tiny purple pill into Sophie's palm. "It's gonna make you sick, sweetie! Don't take it! _Please,_ don't take it!"

Scarecrow glared at Harley. "Now, Harley. If you continue to be a nuisance I'll be forced to gag you again. We're heading into the second level of my deception. So just sit back and enjoy the show. Now, down the hatch, sweetie."

_"No!"_ Harley gasped, but it was too late.

Sophie obediently popped the pill into her mouth and swallowed. Then she started giggling again. "What're you so worried about? It's just a-"

Before she could finish her sentence, Sophie collapsed onto the floor in a deep slumber, and no one had any idea what was in store for her, next.


	16. That's Just the Way the Cookie Crumbles

As Sophie lay on the floor, Tim angrily began mumbling something through his gag. Scarecrow couldn't help but laugh as he walked over to him. With one swipe, he jerked the tape off of both Tim and Barbara's mouths.

"What was that, little boy? Did you have something to say?" Scarecrow asked, half-chuckling.

"I _said_ if you don't leave her alone, when I get out of this, I'm going to beat you into a _puddle!"_ Tim yelled, angrily. "You lousy, no good piece of sh-"

"_Shhh_, " Scarecrow interrupted calmly. "You know something, boy? I'd watch what I said if I were you. You three are lucky you're not _dead_ already." He wistfully looked over at Sophie, who was sleeping peacefully, curled up into a little ball. "I suppose it really doesn't matter, now. We're almost done here."

"Please, Dr. Crane," Harley pleaded seriously, feeling hot tears well up in her eyes. "Please just let her go, now." She paused and glanced down at Sophie, which made her heart ache terribly. She couldn't stop the tears which started running down her face. "I'm begging you with every fiber of my being to just let her go already!"

Barbara and Tim were taken aback at the tone Harley was using at that moment. Neither one had ever heard her sound so serious or so desperate. They couldn't believe this was the same girl who was so ruthless and awful, having no problem hurting or even killing innocent people. Scarecrow was greatly surprised, too. He had no idea he had the ability to make the great, proud Harley Quinn turn into nothing more than a crying, pathetic mess. It was exactly the thing he had been waiting for.

"Why so serious, Harley?" Scarecrow said with a light snicker. "You are a funny girl, aren't you? You walk around Gotham City on the arm of the Joker while terrorizing the city on a regular basis. People everywhere fear you and go running scared the moment they see you. And now look at what you've become. Look what I've turned you into. Nothing but a pathetic little girl who got mixed up with the wrong person."

"Revenge does nothing, Scarecrow," said Barbara, taking in a deep breath. "Who _cares_ if they laughed at you?"

Scarecrow chuckled. "I care. I care a _lot._ I've been laughed at my entire life, and this was the last straw. I believe my revenge is sweet, Batgirl. It's so very, very sweet, and I will savor every moment watching Harley suffer." He walked over to his work table, ignoring the quiet sounds of Harley weeping. "I do believe once word of this gets out, people will think twice before making a joke at my expense. For _years_ I've been made a fool by the rest of Gotham's villains. No one seems to take me seriously. But alas, look who's laughing now? I've gotten almost everything I wanted."

_"Please,"_ Harley cried, her voice tight in her throat. "Jonathan...just let her go!" She took a deep breath, trying to gain her normal strong voice again. "You had your fun, you did your little tests! You made me suffer, alright? You...you made me suffer worse than I ever have in my entire life. When she was missing, I couldn't eat, I couldn't sleep, I couldn't _think._ You got what you wanted. I'm _sorry_ I laughed at you. But, enough already!"

Scarecrow stared at Harley, her icy blue eyes filled with strength and determination. He slowly crouched down to Sophie and rested his hand on the top of her head. "Harley, my dear, if you think this is bad, just wait. You will rue the day you laughed at the Scarecrow. This is not enough. Not even close. Your punishment _must_ be more severe." He looked up at Harley, his eyes gleaming. "I _could_ just kill you after your little sweetheart is dead, that would be the _kind_ thing to do. But, I'm not going to grant you the satisfaction of death. I want you to have the horrible death of this sweet, innocent, loving child on your conscience for the rest of your miserable life!"

Harley bit her lip as she felt more hot, salty tears run down her cheeks. "Crane!" She gasped, barely able to breathe.

Scarecrow gently placed his cold hand on top of Sophie's head, caressing her hair before he continued. "Now for my favorite little test. Just a little old fashioned nightmare. Of my creation, of course." He grinned widely. "Now, listen up, sweetie," he said, speaking in a quiet, hushed voice. "Do you know where you are, now? You're trapped inside a deep, dark tomb and you can't even see your own fingers in front of your face. You're all alone in the dark. All alone."

Sophie began breathing more deeply now, in short, gasps of breath. Scarecrow was using his deception once again, this time, as she slept. He wanted nothing more than to ruin her peaceful slumber.

"Sophie, no!" Tim cried, squeezing his fists together. If only he could have the strength as Superman, he would have ripped off his binds before ripping off Scarecrow's head. He hoped his voice would counter the Scarecrow's, and he could somehow stop Sophie's torture.

Scarecrow ignored Tim and continued speaking. "You're trying to find your way out, but you keep stumbling over something. They are bones. Cold, slimy bones. You're afraid of things grabbing you, of strange sounds you hear, bugs crawling on you, and of being stuck down in the tomb forever. Perhaps you _will_ be stuck there forever!"

Sophie gasped again, her whimpers becoming more loudly. Her dream was horrible, and she felt everything Scarecrow was saying.

"No, sweetie! It's a lie, it's a lie!" Harley cried out, desperately. "You're not alone, we're here with you! We're all here with you!"

Scarecrow laughed as he watched Sophie's body twitch involuntarily as his verbal deceptions creeped their way into her dreams. Her mind was already too far gone to distinguish what was real and what was make-believe. Sophie's dreams were her reality, and once Scarecrow planted images there, there was no hope of changing it.

"It's useless, Harley. The only one with the power over her...is me." He grinned. "You can scream all you want, but once my deceptions are planted, there's no going back. Keep watching, I promise it'll only get better."

Scarecrow was right.

_Inside Sophie's dream/reality, she thought she had gone blind. Her eyes were open but in the tomb, as Scarecrow has said, it was pitch black and she could see nothing at all. She heard the low grumbling sounds he had warned her about, and felt the fear of the unknown sweep upon her. She began to cry in her dream, loud, terrified sobs._

Tim, Harley and Barbara watched helplessly as she lay on the floor, still dreaming of the horrible things Scarecrow had told her. They saw the tears flow from her closed eyes, knowing there was nothing they could do to ease her fear.

_Sophie heard more strange sounds coming from around her, and she gasped, feeling around the black space she was trapped in. "I-is anybody here?" She squeaked, scared out of her mind. Suddenly she felt something grab her arm, and she screamed out in fear._

Barbara, Tim, and Harley jumped when Sophie suddenly screamed. She was only actually speaking in her dream, but her screams and pain were seen by everyone.  
>"What was that?" Sophie gasped in her dream, her voice stiff, backing away. "Who's there? Leave me alone!"<br>"There's something else in the room with you, Sweetie," Scarecrow said, still stooped down beside the sleeping, whimpering child. "It's going to get you, and you'll be dead."  
>Sophie heard Scarecrow's voice echo out in her dream again, and it throbbed in her ears. Sophie began to sob loudly in the pitch black darkness. She thought she would go crazy if she was in the dark room for very much longer.<p>

Suddenly Scarecrow chuckled. "Now it gets better for you, sweetie. Take a few steps forward and you'll get a great surprise."

_In her dream, Sophie did as the voice told her. Suddenly after a few steps, she felt the ground disappear from beneath her feet, and she fell into a hole. Luckily, she was able to catch onto the side of the hole, her legs dangling down into a pit below. She could see nothing, but she was nervous about what could be under her._

_"Nothing_ is safe there, my darling. _Everything_ is going to get you," said Scarecrow. "No matter what you do, they are going to drag you down into the pit, and you'll _never_ get out again!"

_Suddenly, Sophie felt bony hands grab her legs and start to pull her down. She gasped and gripped onto the edge of the hole, tightly. "No! Leave me alone! Don't touch me!"  
><em>  
><em>Arms seemed to come out from all sides, trying to jerk her down deeper into the pit, but luckily with no prevail. They jerked and pulled, but Sophie held on strongly, gasping for breath and willing herself not to let go no matter what. Suddenly, just an addition to her horror, she felt intense pokes on her ribcage, stomach, and under her arms, like hundreds of tiny, soft little fingers. She resisted them at first, but after a few seconds, the pokes became harder and increasingly more frequent, and she try as she might, she just couldn't resist them. With a sharp half gasp, half giggle, she felt the strength in her arms leave her, and she let out a horrified screamed as she fell down into the pit. She landed with a thud at the bottom. She started to cry out, again, but she felt a cold, clammy hand cover her mouth, and she couldn't say a word. The arm seemed to come from behind her, and as it gagged her, it held her in place so she couldn't move an inch.<br>_  
>Back in reality, Scarecrow had placed his hand over her mouth to shush her. "Do you feel the thousands of poisonous bugs around you? Do you feel them crawling on you, sweetie? They're crawling all over your arms. Biting you, injecting you with deadly poison."<p>

_In her dark dream, Sophie felt something brush against her arm. She tried to remove the hand which was holding her mouth, but she couldn't. She let out a muffled gasp and flicked off the tiny insect she had felt, as it now began crawling up her arm. She felt another, and flicked it again with more urgency than before. More and more feelings of bugs on her arms made her gasp and try to brush them off. Suddenly, she felt tiny pricks on her arms and legs as the insects began stinging her with painful, firey fury, and she tried to cry out . It felt like she was having thousands of hot needles being pressed into her skin, and it hurt more than anything._

Scarecrow removed his hand from her mouth and chuckled. He knew it was more fun if they could hear her pain, and it was exactly what he wanted.

Sophie was hysterically trying to brush the "bugs" off her arms, and Harley felt sick from watching her as she gasped, screamed and writhed.

"Wake up, sweetie, wake up!" Harley shouted, almost in tears once more. "It's just a dream, it's not real!"

Scarecrow just laughed a hearty laugh. It was all too much for him, he didn't think it fair that he was enjoying himself so much.

Harley let out an angry grunt of frustration. Her body was already aching from trying to free herself so often, but she knew nothing would help. Suddenly, after her last frustrated attempt, she felt the tiniest bit of movement in her arms. Her heart raced in her chest when she realized that she _did_ have some mobility. She moved her arms again, just to be sure. Sure enough, she could move them just a bit. Working quickly and secretly, she was able to make the ropes which held her a bit looser and looser with each new movement. Scarecrow was enjoying Sophie's pain too much to notice what Harley had discovered, but Tim and Barbara did, and it was all they could do not to cry out in joy.

Sophie continued to pick the bugs off of her arms, but try as she might, they kept biting her, and she kept screaming in pain. She was subconsciously constantly scratching her arms to the point she had long marks from her fingernails and had drawn blood, which was a perfect addition to her already bruised body. The vividness of her dream was so strong in her own reality, her body was feeling the effects three times stronger than even in the dream. It seemed no matter how hard she picked, the bugs remained, almost laughing at her inability to remove them.

"Get them off, they're hurting me!" Sophie screamed in frightened panic, her heart beating wildly. She has broken from her dream and her shrieks were heard by everyone, much to the enjoyment of Scarecrow. "They're hurting me, they're hurting me!"

"Oh, isn't this just _so_ much fun?" Scarecrow said, with a laugh, watching Sophie scream in hysterical pain from her place on the floor. Her loud, piercing screams seemed to echo off the walls, and even Scarecrow had to speak up from his normally quiet, creepy voice in order to be heard over Sophie's hysterics. Scarecrow then frowned, sadly. "Even if I am having the time of my life with this, all good things must come to an end, I'm afraid."

After a moment more of Sophie's deafening screams and cries, Scarecrow carefully reached for the bottle of his magical white liquid and sprayed it into Sophie's face. Sophie inhaled the spray and stopped screaming almost instantly. Her eyes burst open and she sat up with a start, gasping deep, thick breaths as if she had been submerged in water and her lungs were desperate for air. Sophie's irises had changed yet again. This time, they were even more dull, and had turned a light gray color, as if life had been sucked out of them. There was no way the sunshine which had always been inside of Sophie could survive such nightmares. Her eyes drooped a little, and she took a deep, exhausted sigh. All her screaming, shouting, and moving had definitely taken a toll on her, now.

Scarecrow bent down to Sophie's level and clicked his tongue. "Aw, are you tired yet, sweetie?"

Sophie was so drowsy, she was barely able to look at Scarecrow directly in his eyes. Her body didn't seem to want to do what her brain commanded.

"Well, I must say, you've done _quite_ worse than the last times we've tried these tests. You managed to last much longer than you did, now. I think it means you're much, much weaker than you used to be. What a pity," he said, shaking his head. "I hoped the cleansing toxin would bring you back to normal, but I guess that didn't help." He couldn't help but chuckle. "Oh well."

Sophie looked around the room, her dark eyes glazed over. "I...I," She began, quietly, her eyelids drooping while she spoke. "I'm at the circus. I can see...see...unicorns...and pink...pink cotton candy. And blue...cotton." Sophie shut her eyes completely, her head slowly falling out of lack of strength. "In my head, every...thing...in my head. So many...pictures. They won't go...away," she mumbled. "They're everywhere."

Harley worked vigorously on loosening her binds more, but she was careful to stop moving when Scarecrow had the possibility to see her.

Scarecrow cupped Sophie's face in his hands and lifted her head back up, gently. "Oh, you must stay awake for this part, sweetie. It's time for the grand finale, after all. The end. I've been waiting for this moment for a long, long time."

Sophie opened her heavy eyes and looked at Scarecrow. "The...end?"

Harley was still silent as she continued to loosen her binds more and more. She was almost free, and she bit her lip in anticipation. Just a few more shakes and she'd be free to strangle the savage beast known as Scarecrow.

"It will be the end, honey. For you. Why, I gather with the state of your mind and all, you'll be dead within the hour. Possibly even sooner than _that."_ Scarecrow slowly let go of Sophie's face, and she clumsily collapsed to the floor. She just had no more strength left to even sit up on her own.

He walked to the table and uncovered a long syringe filled with jet black liquid. He grinned as he picked up his deadly concoction. The final stage of his entire operation and the final moments of his little captive all rested with that one little needle. He walked back over to Harley, Tim, and Barbara. He said nothing, figuring nothing more had to be said to his other three captives. They weren't going anywhere, and he wanted to make sure Harley had a good viewing of Sophie's death. Harley had stopped wiggling once Scarecrow had turned his attention to them. A few more minutes was all she needed.

Scarecrow placed the needle on the floor beside Sophie, bending down on his knees. He picked up her tiny body and helped her into a seated position.

Sophie opened her gray eyes, and shook her head as she noticed the syringe beside her. She knew what was coming. ''No! I...I don't want it!" She cried breathlessly, fighting to keep her eyes open even as tears flowed from them. "It hurts so bad. The things in my head. Take...take them out! Out...please!" Her tired eyes began to fill with tears and she put her hands on Scarecrow's shoulders. "I want...to sleep. Sleep!"

Scarecrow nodded. "Oh, my sweet little one, you're _definitely_ going to sleep, don't you worry about _that."_ He picked up the needle and squirted it to release the air bubbles from it. "Just one little dosage of my Liquid Nightmare, and it'll be all over. This should, according to my calculations, be the strongest ever. Even _I_ don't know what's going to happen to you. All I know, is..." He reached for the bottle of his cleansing toxin and threw it to the floor. It smashed into a thousand pieces, and the toxin evaporated into thin air. "There's _no_ coming back from this one." He gently patted her head as Sophie lay down on the floor, closing her eyes. All of the fight had been sucked out of her body and her mind, and now she had completely given up.

Scarecrow turned to Harley, his eyes filled with satisfaction. "I should thank you, Harley, for introducing me to such an interesting test subject. She was so much fun to break, and even more fun because I knew how much she really meant to you. Nothing pleases a villain like me more than knowing they've made someone suffer."

Sophie began humming quietly with her eyes closed, her head slowly moving back and forth. "Hush little baby...mommy's gonna kill...you..." she sang quietly.

Scarecrow laughed. "Oh, it's a _shame_ the doctors at Arkham can't get a load of her, now! She'd most definitely be a contender, probably in the intensive unit. You know," he said, almost chuckling. "At the beginning, she kept begging and pleading me to let her go, saying she missed you and wanted to see you again, Harley. She was a real tough cookie. You'd have really been so proud of how hard she mentally fought against my tests. Oh, how she fought. It shocked even _me!_ At first I didn't think I would have the power to break her, but as you can see...I _always_ get what I want." Scarecrow lifted the needle with a grin.

"Scarecrow, stop!" Tim suddenly cried out.

Barbara took in a huge, gasping breath. "Think about what you're about to do. You're not as evil as you think you are. You're _not!"_

Scarecrow growled at the accusation of his prisoner, and in an instant, he had bounded up, needle raised. He grabbed Barbara's arm and pointed the needle down at her arm. "Are you questioning me, Batgirl? I _am_ the epitome of evil, my ignorant little friend. Don't worry, I've got _loads_ of tests reserved for you and your little compadre after Sophie is taken care of. You and Robin share the same fate as Sweetie Pie, I promise you that." He released her arm and grabbed her around her neck. "And trust me...I'll enjoy it _almost_ as much!"

He released Barbara's throat and glanced at Harley. His black eyes managed to light up at the final task he was about to perform. "You know something, Harley? None of my thugs could ever fetch me my medicines when I asked them. Do you know what they told me? They...they didn't want to hurt such a sweet thing like Sophie. Imagine that! A group of well-trained killing machines refused to help me. A snake charmer, she is. _Or...was."_

He walked to Sophie, stooped down, and placed his hand on top of her head. She lay motionless, still too exhausted to even open her eyes. It was as if she was just waiting for the final blow.

"I really _do_ hate to kill her." Scarecrow paused and gently took Sophie's arm in his and raised it a little. He lifted up the needle with his other hand, laughing. "But I suppose...that's just the way the cookie crumbles."

Just as Scarecrow was about to inject Sophie with the deadly toxin, Harley burst through her binds with an angry cry, and flipped off the table in a flash. She roundhouse kicked Scarecrow just as hard as her tired legs could manage, shouting obscenities at him. The force of her anger and strength combined was enough to send the now unconscious Scarecrow flying backwards across the room, crashing into metal tables and sending tools crashing everywhere.

Harley grabbed a tiny knife from Scarecrow's "work table" and thrust it towards Batgirl and Robin. The knife jammed just close enough for Barbara to grab it and begin cutting the binds which held her.

Harley sat down on the floor, her heart pounding. She gently and carefully scooped Sophie up into her lap, holding her much like a baby. She had so many emotions, she felt sick again, but this time, out of happiness and joy. She kissed Sophie's forehead and brushed her thumb across her cheek, causing Sophie to flutter her eyes open for a second, then close them again. "Oh, sweetie, are you okay?" When Sophie didn't respond, Harley began to panic a little. She softly pinched both her cheeks in an attempt to wake her. "Come on, honey. Wake up, please wake up! Say something!"

Sophie slowly opened her eyes once more. She looked up at Harley and managed to smile a little. Harley held back a shocked gasp as she looked at Sophie's now much darker gray eyes. They were almost black by then, completely lifeless.

Sophie looked at Harley for a moment, slightly confused. "Hey, are you...are you my mommy?"

Harley giggled and gently kissed Sophie on her cheek, brushing the hair out of her eyes. "No, cutie. I'm not your mommy. I'm not that lucky." Harley tried to smile as best she could, but seeing the sad, dull look of Sophie's eyes made her stomach churn. "Oh my God, I'm...I'm so sorry about all of this, sweetie." Harley's eyes began to fill with hot, guilty tears as she choked out the words. " I'm so...sorry!"

Sophie smiled and put her hand on Harley's cheek. "Please don't cry." She said, softly. "Turn that frown upside...upside down."

Harley grinned and laughed through her gleeful tears. She pulled Sophie into a tight hug. If she could have had her way, Harley would never have let her go again. She was just so happy that it was all over, and that Sophie was safe, now. Harley released her and kissed her cheeks again, at least three times. "Oh, my God, I missed you so much!"

Sophie giggled quietly. "I...dunno who you are but, my heart...it feels happy now, so...I think...I think...I missed you, too."

Harley grinned widely. "Well, that's good enough for me." She stood up, still holding Sophie in her arms. "I promise you, we're getting out of here. I'm not gonna let anything else hurt you ever again! Well just help B-"

"My my, what a touching display of your sane, motherly side, Harley," said Scarecrow, suddenly interrupting Harley's thought.

Harley gasped and looked up, horrified. Scarecrow had awoken and was standing between Harley and the door, a small black pistol aimed directly at her. Barbara rigorously cut at her binds, but it seemed too late. The knife had turned out to be duller then they had thought.

"I really never thought I'd live to see the day when you would care for someone other than the Joker, Harley. That's the biggest shock of my life, I can assure you," Scarecrow said, laughing, lowering the gun. "Now, give your little friend back to me. She's no longer your concern. Finder's Keepers, let's say."

Harley backed up angrily as Sophie gripped onto Harley's neck as tightly as her weak arms could. She couldn't remember who any of the people in the room were, but she was sticking with the girl who was trying to rescue her.

"Ya know what, Crane?" Harley spat, her eyes filled with fury. "I hope they lock you up in Arkham and throw away the key. I don't care if I go down with you, but I swear on my life you're not getting anywhere near this kid _again!"_

Scarecrow lifted the gun once more and pointed it directly at Harley and Sophie. He had backed them into a wall, with nowhere to go. "Very poor choice of words. For the record, my dear, I'm not going back to Arkham. And neither are _you,_ I'm afraid. I was hoping to finish off my last toxin on our sweet little Sweetie Pie, but I guess a little gunshot is better than nothing, isn't it? I've had a sudden change of heart, and luckily, I've got just enough for the _both_ of you."

Harley had never seen such hatred in the eyes of anyone like she saw in Scarecrow's. She held onto Sophie as tightly as she could, but she knew they were trapped. Harley was helplessly staring into the barrel of the gun, until her eyes met his.

"Do you have any last words, Harley?" Scarecrow asked. "The very least I could do is let you go out with some sort of dignity."

"Please," Sophie said, quietly. She stared at Scarecrow with her sad, confused eyes for a second. Her mind went blank, and she paused, closing her eyes. "Don't hurt..."

"Just _go!"_ suddenly cried Tim, angrily.

Barbara had finally managed to free herself and had been working on cutting Tim's binds, but he didn't want her to waste anymore time. He had a feeling Scarecrow would make good on his threat to shoot Harley and Sophie. As Barbara prepared to move towards them, Scarecrow clicked his tongue. Scarecrow seemed unphased by Batgirl's escape. He knew he had the upper hand, still, and he wasn't the least bit worried.

"I wouldn't do that, if I were you, Batgirl. If either of you take a step towards us," Scarecrow hissed. "I'll shoot them right now."

Barbara gritted her teeth, but she obeyed. "Don't do this, Crane. "

Suddenly, Scarecrow began to laugh. And laugh. This made everyone in the room very uneasy. Tim had finished sawing through his binds, and with his fists clenched, stood next to Barbara. All he needed was a second to throw a bat-a-rang or two and knock the gun out of Scarecrow's hand. He didn't want to risk missing, though, and having and Scarecrow kill Harley and Sophie. Well, at least, he thought to himself, _Sophie._

"Oh Harley, don't you wish you had hired help from anyone else in Gotham City? You got saddled with these two clowns, and look where it got you. Good help is _so_ hard to find these days, isn't it?" Scarecrow said, laughing still. He laughed so hard, he lowered the gun for a second.

Harley locked eyes with Barbara, and she took a step away from Scarecrow, hoping to fool him in any way possible. Just as she stepped, he raised the gun again, and immediately stopped laughing. He held the gun inches away from Harley's nose, and her blood turned to ice. "Alright, enough chatter. Let's get this over with, shall we?"

Harley shut her eyes, ready for the bullet to pierce her body. She felt her heart break, and she felt like a failure. Oh, Puddin, she thought, imagining the Joker's evil, smiling face for the last time. She wondered if he would miss her as much as she would miss him. Would he cry uncontrollably for weeks? Months? Years? Would he find another henchgirl to replace her with? It shattered her heart to think about it, but she prepared for her inevitable end.

Scarecrow cocked the gun, and Harley kissed Sophie's forehead once last time. "I'm sorry, sweetie," she whispered, as Scarecrow fired the loud, defining shot.


	17. The Unlikely Hero

Being shot felt nothing like Harley had been expecting. It almost felt like a crazy dream. Suddenly, the room was engulfed in firey, thick, black smoke, much like an explosion. In fact, to Harley's astonishment, it actually _was_ an explosion, not a gunshot. It had happened so fast, she had thought the result was because of gunfire. But no, Scarecrow hadn't even been able to fire his shot. Barbara, Tim, and Scarecrow had been thrown backwards by the force of the sudden explosion, as had Harley and Sophie. Luckily, they both had a tight grip on each other, and they had stayed together. They crashed into the fiery rubble, unable to see a thing, thanks to the smoke. Everyone coughed and sputtered for a moment, until the smoke had cleared somewhat. Harley was sure she had been dreaming. She was sure the Scarecrow had indeed shot her in the face, and she was just imagining the current events. She was sure of it, because there, standing in the middle of the room, hands on his hips, was the Joker, a deliciously evil smiled plastered on his face.

_"Puddin!"_ Harley bellowed, coughing a little through her loud gasp.

"In the flesh," said the Joker, with a little chuckle.

Harley was utterly dumbfounded. "W-what're you doin' here? You said...you said you weren't gonna help me!"

Joker casually walked over to the group; Barbara and Tim covered in the rubble, Scarecrow, open-mouthed and in shock, Sophie, with her soot-covered cheeks, and Harley, hearts in her eyes. "Well, my dear, If I had a heart, I would say I had a change of it. But since I don't, let's just say...I had to make sure what's mine stays mine," he replied, his eyes suddenly sparkling just a little.

Without a word, the Joker patted Sophie on her head and pinched her sooty cheek, much like Harley did as a sign of affection. He then stepped over to Scarecrow, who coughed, both nervously, and because of the smoke. Scarecrow's feet were trapped under pieces of plaster, so no matter how much he tried to move away, he was stuck.

The Joker angrily jerked him up by his collar with such force that he freed Scarecrow from his feet trap. _"No_ one messes with my gang and gets away with it," the Joker hissed, his eyes turning icy cold. "That kid over there is part of _my_ gang, and when you messed with her, you messed with _me._ If you _ever...ever_ think about stealing from me again, I'll _rip_ every single piece of stuffing out of your pathetic little body and use it for a bonfire!"

Scarecrow gulped, fear finally materializing in his own eyes. "Oh...come off it, dear friend. I was _just_ having a little fun. I thought _you_ of all people would understand that!"

The Joker grinned, widely. "Well, I _didn't."_ He threw Scarecrow down as hard as he could, making him land near Harley and Sophie in a crumpled, unconscious heap. He then turned to the chaotic scene around him. His bomb really had done a number on the room, and he burst into maniacal laughter. "Oh, what I wouldn't give for a camera right now. What a Kodak moment this is! I assume the coppers are gonna be coming around shortly after a blast like that. I'd love to stay and chat, but I'm not ready to go back to the asylum just yet. Toodles!" Just as quickly as he appeared, he slipped through the hole in the wall, and was gone.

Barbara and Tim worked on removing the rubble which was surrounding them, but they were in a confused state.

"Hold up...did the Joker _just...rescue_ us?" Tim asked, dumbfounded, kicking off the huge pieces of the ceiling which were on his legs. "Or am I hallucinating?"

Barbara shook her head and wiped the soot from her face, as Tim helped her take off some of the heavier pieces from her legs. "Maybe we _both_ are! Batman's _never_ gonna believe this!"

Sophie looked at Harley, smiling a little. It killed her that throughout all the commotion, her mind was completely blank. She really had no idea why this woman would risk her life for her. "Um...Harley? I'm gonna remember you...someday?"

Harley teared up a little, and grabbed Sophie gently for a hug. "God, sweetie, I _sure_ hope so." They pulled apart, and Harley kissed her forehead. "It's all over, now. We're gonna get the heck outta here, and you're gonna be a-okay, I just _know_ it!"

Suddenly, Sophie shrieked out in agonizing pain, startling Harley, Tim, and Barbara. Scarecrow had quietly awoken from his slumber and had jammed the syringe filled with his black liquid deep into Sophie's arm. He shoved his thumb down on the top of the syringe as hard as he could, shooting the toxin into her body before anyone could react.

_"No!"_ Harley screamed, jerking the needle out of Sophie's arm. "Oh, my God!"

Scarecrow laughed his maniacal laugh as Barbara and Tim apprehended him. "I won, I won!" He sang in a crazy, sing-song voice. "Now, you'll be with me in Arkham, and your sweet little friend will be dead! Looks like I got what I wanted, after all! What a happy ending!"

Sophie looked at Harley, her eyes now turning as black as Scarecrow's. She couldn't fight the sleepiness she felt, now, and her eyes slowly closed. The toxin began to work almost instantly. "I can't... she mumbled, quietly. The power of the Scarecrow's last toxin was more than her body could handle, anymore. After almost two weeks of being tested on, she just didn't have the strength to fight it. And with the Scarecrow's most powerful toxin now inside of her, it was only a matter of time before it became deadly.

"No, sweetie, don't go to sleep, don't go to sleep!" Harley cried frantically, gently shaking her. Tears poured from Harley's eyes after Sophie remained unconscious on her arms. "No, _please,_ don't go to sleep!" Harley quietly choked out, grabbing her cheeks in a last attempt to wake her. Sophie's entire body went limp a second later, and as the police sirens wailed in the distance, Harley burst into hot, angry tears with no hope of stopping them. She hugged Sophie tightly, feeling her faint heartbeat growing fainter and fainter with each passing second.

"Harley," Barbara began, biting her lip. She and Tim felt equally destroyed at Scarecrow's actions. Tim quickly wiped his eyes with the back of his hand and turned away from the others as to not show his feelings.

As Scarecrow still laughed and chuckled. Harley suddenly felt her entire body turn to fire, filled with a rage she had never felt before in her life. Harley gently let go of Sophie, and in the next instant, she angrily lunged at Scarecrow, who had been safely bound by Barbara and Tim.

"I'll kill you, I'll _kill_ you!" Harley screamed, her voice hoarse and angry. Three policemen rushed in just in time to catch her before she actually _did_ kill Scarecrow. It took all three of them to restrain her, her body filled with adrenaline. "Get off me, get of me!"" She cried, the tears flowing harder, now. She kicked and thrashed, trying to make them release her. "Let me kill him! I'll rip his head off! I'll kill him!"

The police took Scarecrow from Barbara and Tim, as he still chuckled even on his way out of the building.

Barbara and Tim both rushed over to Sophie as fast as they could, in hopes of a change. Nothing. She was still lifeless on the floor, barely breathing. As the police dragged Harley out of the building, ready for her trip aback to Arkham, Harley was in more hysterics than ever. "No, I wanna stay with her, please! She needs me, she needs me! Stop! Please, _please!"_

Barbara and Tim looked at each other as they saw a group of medics rush into the room. They knew they were both thinking the same thing. Perhaps, just perhaps...they were already too late.


	18. Deal or No Deal?

Barbara Gordon was not a cold-hearted young woman. She may have been a masked vigilante who spent her nights beating criminals to a pulp with her bare hands, but she was definitely far from heartless. She knew her ability to humanize a few of her enemies was more of a deadly curse than a blessing, but it was why she had made it her personal duty of being a constant visitor while Sophie was admitted to the hospital. She felt it morally right, and couldn't have lived with herself had she not _wanted_ to. Barbara didn't see Sophie as a threat, but as a a lost, confused, deathly ill child. Barbara as Batgirl had also convinced Commissioner Gordon to allow Harley to remain outside of Arkham Asylum under constant surveillance until Sophie would either recover...or succum to Scarecrow's evil medicines. Neither she, Tim, Harley, or the doctors at the hospital had ever imagined Sophie would live through the first night. Somehow, though, she had. But just barely. For this reason, Barbara knew it meant the world to Harley to be able to stay with Sophie, and she was pleased with herself for actually getting her father to go through with it...although she was well aware not many could argue with anything a member of the Bat Family suggested. The folks down at the station probably thought both Batgirl and the Commissioner had completely lost their marbles, but she would worry about that, later.

After her nights of patrolling finished, Barbara spent countless, silent hours in Sophie's room. Every time Barbara would swoop in through the window, Harley would almost always be in the same position - sitting in a tiny chair at Sophie's bedside holding her hand, talking quietly, and crying, Out of respect, Barbara had most often brought a book or magazine to read, and stuck headphones under her mask so she wouldn't disturb Harley. A few times before Barbara could switch on her music, she could hear Harley cursing the ground Scarecrow walked on, and tearfully begging Sophie to wake up, because she needed her. Barbara saw a completely different side of Harley Quinn...a side she had never, ever expected to see. Barbara knew Harley had been driven mad with rage and emotions when Scarecrow had kidnapped Sophie, but she couldn't believe, as Scarecrow had once said, that Harley had the capacity to care for another human being as much as she cared for the Joker. Barbara knew Harley's whole world had revolved around the Joker before the angelic, pint-sized criminal appeared, and now, she had someone else to love and look after. She knew how passionately Harley loved the Joker, thus fueling her hatred for Batman and anyone else who tried to do him wrong, so Barbara was certain Harley could have literally maimed Scarecrow to death had she gotten her hands on him for hurting the second love of her life.

Barbara wondered then if she had done wrong by keeping Harley out of Arkham and by Sophie's side. As Sophie's condition took a turn for the worse, the pain in Harley eyes was enough to break even the hardest of hearts. Barbara knew what Harley must be feeling - Sophie was in agonizing pain, and there was nothing she could do to help her. The Scarecrow's mixtures were pulsing through Sophie's tiny body, and they enjoyed causing hellish nightmares and sickness to her fragile body. Since Barbara also had her Batgirl duty, she wasn't able to be at Sophie's side 24 hours, but as she spoke to the doctors and nurses, she found out Harley had barely slept, and spent most of her time perched in a chair beside Sophie, crying, just as she did when Barbara was present.

Once, while Barbara had just arrived sometime in the middle of the night, Sophie suddenly started screaming out in fear, gasping for air and crying. Harley had somehow fallen asleep, probably from sheer exhaustion, but had been grasping Sophie's hand tightly in hers. When Sophie had her episode, Harley was jerked awake, still clasping her hand. Harley pleaded again for Sophie to snap out of it, but to no avail. Harley burst into fresh tears as she and the nurses tried to wake Sophie from her torture. There was no amount of medicine anyone could give her to stop her pain. It seemed as if Sophie was trapped in a coma, one that produced more horrifying nightmares than any of them could ever imagine.

Tim had been increasingly sad and upset about Sophie's situation, and he hounded Barbara with questions on her recovery. It broke Barbara's heart to have to admit to her young colleague that Sophie had grown weaker and had shown no signs of getting better. Tim couldn't bring himself to visit Sophie, simply out of fear. He remembered the state she was in the last time he'd seen her, and he didn't think he was strong enough to see her at that time. The last thing he wanted to do was cry in front of anyone, let alone Harley. Bruce had managed to come in the times Harley had been in a deep sleep, which was very rare. He didn't want to risk Harley seeing him and setting her off, as he assumed he would do.

Once, many weeks after Sophie had been admitted, Barbara swung into the open window with ease. In her hand was a beautiful bouquet, with three unmistakable symbols drawn on bits of stock card. The guard at the door to Sophie's room reacted to the disturbance, but once realizing it was Barbara, gave a wave and turned back around. Without missing a beat, Barbara walked over to the officer and asked him to leave his post for just a little while. She wanted to talk with Harley in private. The cop angrily protested, but Barbara simply smiled and pointed to the bat symbol on her costume. That shut him up. He grumbled in annoyance about the "stupid little girl in a costume." Even so, he angrily slammed the door and walked away in a huff.

Harley seemed to not even have noticed the commotion. She was so tired, both mentally and physically, she felt as if she were sleep walking most of the time. Like a walking trance. Her shiny blonde hair was combed and neat, and the light pink dress she was wearing was nothing less than flattering. It was the dress she had bought on a day she had been declared sane by the doctors at the Asylum, and seeing it usually made her happy, but now, her face was anything but happy. Her eyes were constantly red and puffy, both from a combination of lack of sleep, crying, worry, and depression. This day, Harley seemed to have less energy than she normally did. Her eyes weren't only red and puffy, but they looked as if she had just...given up all hope. They were full of despair.

Barbara bit her lip, nervously. The beeping of Sophie's machines was deafening, almost as if they were as loud as a jet engine. Harley watched silently as Barbara placed her huge bouquet beside an even larger bouquet of flowers signed by the Joker himself. Harley felt a great weight lifted from her upon hearing Barbara asking the guard to leave. Harley knew there was really no need for a guard. She had no intentions of ever trying to make a run for it. She would never leave Sophie, again. Not now. Not after what happened. She felt so many emotions at once, she felt her throat grow tight, and tears began to fall from her icy blue eyes for the third time that day.

"Mister J sent those flowers last week," Harley said quietly, speaking for the first time in over a month to anyone other than Sophie. Her voice was a little hoarse and dry from her tears, and was barely louder than a whisper. She cleared her throat before continuing. "He knew Sophie loved white roses. She told us once, when she was..." Harley stopped to catch her breath as she brushed Sophie's hair back from her face, "When she was little, she thought the white ones were white 'cause they grew in snow. That was her theory." Harley wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. "Mister J never laughed so hard in his life, I think. He asked her about yellow snow, then, and why people say not to eat it. She looked him square in the face, her blue eyes sparkling like nothin' else, and said seriously, "Well, 'cause if they did, we'd never have yellow roses, now _would_ we?" Harley managed a tiny giggle, but Barbara had never seen anyone try so hard to make one in her life. Harley stopped laughing just as soon as she started, which proved to Barbara it indeed wasn't real at all.

"So then... this huge bouquet of white roses came, with one huge yellow rose in the middle. A note came with them, that said, "I sent these from Antarctica, Sweets, 'cause that's where they grow, but I wouldn't suggest smelling the yellow one." Harley paused for a moment. "She'd laugh if she saw them. I _know_ she would." Harley gazed sadly at Sophie, and kissed her forehead, gently. "What I wouldn't give if she'd just open her eyes, even for a second. Just a _second_!" Harley whispered, quietly. "Come on, sweetie. Wake up. I love you so much! _Please,_ wake up!"

Barbara was, for once in her in life, speechless. Hearing Harley speak so sincerely and so utterly human-like really did seem unnatural. She was at a loss for words. Harley didn't seem to notice. One thing about Harley, once she got to talking, nothing much could stop her.

"Y'know, I...I never thanked you and Bir...um...Robin for what you did. For believing me...and helping me." Harley gently stoked Sophie's pink, flushed cheek with her thumb. She took her other hand and wiped away tears from her eyes. "I-if we didn't come when we did, I might have never seen her alive again." More tears came, and she embarrassingly brushed them away as fast as she could. "I couldn't have done this without you. I won't ever be able to repay you for that.''

Barbara smiled, faintly, her heart softening. "And you won't ever need to."

Harley sighed deeply, and closed her eyes tightly before speaking. "This sweet, adorable little kid literally dropped in on us, and it was _perfect_." She opened her eyes while the tears came rushing down her face. "I was...I was just so desperate to have another girl in our gang, and I never...I never thought about the consequences it could have for her. She...she _depended_ on me to take care of her! I was supposed to protect her, and look out for her...and I let _this_ happen!"

"Harley," said Barbara, gently. "You didn't let anything happen. It wasn't your faul-"

"Wasn't my _fault_?" Harley spat angrily, the defiant, fiery look seeping back into her eyes. "She didn't even _wanna_ take the job we thought we were gonna get! She tried to talk me out of it, but I was so concerned with making a quick buck that I didn't listen to her. Do you _see_ what happened because of me? Because of how selfish and...and _stupid_ I was?"

Barbara shook her head. "Harley, it was _because_ of you that we even found her in the first place! _You_ saved her because you made Robin and I come after her. You pushed us and pushed us until we finally had to listen to you. If it wasn't for you, she'd be _dead_ already!"

Harley's eyes got watery, again. "Who's the say she _won't_ be?"

"Harley," Barbara said, gently. "She's a tough kid, you know better than anybody. You got her mixed up in our lifestyles, that may be true. But, you need to realise that because of you, she was able to survive all the toxins Scarecrow put inside of her. She's much stronger than Scarecrow thought, and she's strong because of you. You heard what he said. She wanted to go back home to you, and so it was _you_ who made her strong! She's going to be okay _because _of you." When Harley didn't say anything more, Barbara felt now was the time to tell her. "I spoke with Sophie's doctors this morning. They say her body is recovering. They've seen great improvements. I bet in no time at all, she'll be back to normal. I bet she knows you've been with her all this time, Harley. You're making her better just by being here."

Harley felt her eyes well up again, this time, out of happiness. "You really think so?"

Barbara smiled. "Well, I'm no doctor, but I'd bet you had a great deal to do with it." Barbara reached her hand out to Harley with a grin on her face.

Harley brushed her hand away just as soon as it approached her. "Whoa whoa whoa, Bratgirl. I can _thank_ you, but that doesn't mean I _like_ you!"

Barbara smiled little. No matter what soft, vulnerable side she might have shown, deep down, Harley Quinn was always going to be Harley Quinn. She bit her lip, contemplating her next words carefully, but she knew now was a good a time as ever. "So, have you thought anymore about my... condition?"

Harley managed to smile a little, especially now that the horrible feeling in her stomach over Sophie had started to decrease. Now that she knew Sophie was eventually going to be okay, the sun seemed to come out, again. Harley's eyes became as mischievous as they were known for. "The one about sending me back to Arkahm?"

Barbara smiled, too. "No, that's a _given_. I meant...the...the _other_ one."

Harley sighed and looked at Sophie once more. She saw the countless bruises on her arms from the Scarecrow's needles being jabbed into them, the pain in her face, and Harley remembered Sophie's black, lifeless eyes. The sparkle Harley adored so much had been taken from them because of Scarecrow's evil, evil medicine. Harley couldn't even begin to imagine just how terrible it must have been for Sophie to be all alone in the Scarecrow's clutches, and the horrible things his toxins did to her both physically and mentally. Harley and the Joker's lives were full of danger, and Harley knew it. She could never let anything like this ever happen to Sophie again. She knew, deep in her heart, she had to do whatever it took to protect her, even if it meant doing the unthinkable. With a huge, heavy sigh. Harley turned her gaze to Barbara. "Okay, Bratgirl. Let's talk."


	19. Am I Dreaming?

Barbara and Harley spoke for what seemed like ages. Rather, _Barbara_ spoke for what seemed like ages. Harley had in fact, said next to nothing as she stared blankly at Barbara, almost as if in a hypnotized trance. As Barbara spoke, Harley listened...and listened intently. Sometimes she'd nod her head in agreement, even if it pained her more than anything to do so. Other times, she'd stare off into space for a few seconds, quickly wiping her eyes with the back of her hand before snapping back to reality. It was almost as if she was fighting the harsh reality of Barbara's words...as if she was trying to make them into something they weren't. Harley couldn't deny that Barbara knew what she was talking about. Every painful, stinging, unbearable word was true. Every. Single. Word. Harley didn't want to hear Barbara's words because she didn't want to have to agree with her. She didn't want to remember the agreement Barbara had mentioned prior to all the chaos which soon followed. But worst of all, Harley didn't want to imagine her life without her precious Sophie right by her side. It was something Harley just wasn't ready to deal with, and probably would _never_ be ready to deal with.

As Barbara continued to speak in gentle but harsh tones, Harley smiled a painful smile as she gazed upon Sophie and gently stroked her cheek with her thumb. Barbara's words echoed in Harley's mind as she felt her eyes sting with pain and fresh tears. "Don't you think Sophie deserves to live a life away from all of this? Away from criminals, danger lurking around every corner? Gunshots and bombs, car chases and death a huge possibility? She'd be much happier without all of this, and you know it. Do what's best for this kid, Harley, not what's best for_ you."_

Harley closed her eyes and imagined Sophie's life in a completely different way.

_She imagined Sophie playing in the backyard of a light pink house with a white picket fence and a huge, elaborate treehouse adoring a larger-than-life oak tree. Real 80s sitcom-like. Sophie's eyes were the same, deep shade of ocean-blue, full of life and happiness. They were eyes which had never known the dangers of life as a criminal or of being tortured until nearly dead. They were happy, free eyes._

_Sophie threw a stick as an adorable puppy raced after it, yipping and barking like crazy. A black kitten mewed and brushed against Sophie's leg, making her giggle and scoop it up. "Oh, Cosmic, don't think I forgot about you just because I was playing with Comet! Don't forget, we all got adopted at the same time, and there's always room for everybody in this family."_

_Suddenly, a dark-haired woman with a warm smile opened the back door holding a tray of cookies. "Sophie honey, your friends are here! Michelle and Gabriela came by to see if you wanted to go ride bikes. I don't mind, just as long as you're back before the street lights come on."_

_Sophie placed the kitten down gently on the ground. "Oh, thanks, Mom! We're gonna check out the old abandoned Lansbury house. Kids say it's haunted!"_

_As Sophie ran towards the smiling woman, she took a cookie off the tray. The woman kissed Sophie's forehead. "Well, alright, just don't go causing any trouble."_

_Sophie giggled. "We won't, don't worry. I don't wanna do anything to get anybody in trouble. I hate getting into trouble!"_

_A tall, fair-haired man entered through the backyard as if on cue. "Did I hear someone say they were going to get into trouble?"_

_Before Sophie could react, the man rushed over to her, threw his briefcase onto the grass, and scooped her up into his arms upside-down. She could hardly control her laughter, especially as he poked and prodded her stomach with his hand, playfully._

_"No, I said I hate trouble!" Sophie cried, laughing uncontrollably. "I promise!"_

_The man grinned a handsome grin and placed her back onto the ground. "Okay, okay. Then, I guess you can go out with your friends. I mean, who needs to spend time with their dear old dad, anyway?"_

_Sophie frowned, sadly. She certainly didn't want to upset her father._

_"Oh,stop teasing her, dear!" scolded the woman with a Colgate smile. "She promised to be home before dark."_

_The man grinned and ruffled Sophie's hair. "You know I'm just joking, Soph. Have a great time."_

_Sophie smiled, too, and hugged both the people at once. "I love you guys."_

_"And we love you, too," replied the woman and the man, glancing at each other with happy tears in their eyes. It was the family each of them had always wanted, and now that they had it, they'd never, ever been happier._

Harley gasped awake from her dream. At first, she was deeply confused as she hadn't even remembered falling asleep, but she was relieved it was only a dream and it had nothing to do with her own reality. "Sweet _Jesus,"_ Harley mumbled, rubbing her burning eyes. "What a freaky, _horrible_ nightmare!" As Harley glanced at the clock on the wall in Sophie's room, she was shocked at the time. It was a little past ten-thirty at night, which had meant she had slept for a good five or six hours. "I musta fallen asleep listening to Bratgirl's lectures," Harley mumbled again, her voice hoarse and dry.

Her eyes were burning as she blinked, and she figured it was because of her constant crying. Boy, she'd done a lot of that lately. And that dream. That terrible, disgustingly sweet dream made her nauseous to even think about. She jerked the glass of water off Sophie's nightstand table and downed it like double shots of alcohol, hoping to ease the sinking feeling in her stomach. Harley set the glass back onto the table with a huge sigh. The water did nothing for the feeling in her stomach, but Harley wasn't surprised. She knew the feeling was something that water couldn't fix. She glanced at the angel-face kid sleeping in the bed. Surely a cute kid like Sophie deserved a cute family like the one in Harley's nightmare, right? Harley smiled in spite of herself as she imagined Sophie skipping off to school in a shiny new Hello Kitty backpack, a frilly dress, hair in braids and Mary Jane's on her feet as her two Stepford-type parents waved from the doorway. It was almost comedic to think about, and for the first time in a really long time, Harley smiled and actually meant it.

"I would _definitely_ have to make somebody send me a copy of school pictures in a get-up like that!" Harley said out loud with a little chuckle as she picked up the miniature Joker doll she had brought for Sophie. "Talk about the _perfect_ blackmail!" But Harley's smile faded as she felt a little pang of jealousy creep in. What if Sophie ended up liking silly frou-frou people better than she liked Harley? "After all," Harley continued out loud, speaking to the Joker doll, "I mean I _am_ the one who rescued her. I mean, if it wasn't for me, she'd still be living on the street, yeah?" When the doll didn't answer, Harley continued, "Or even worse, Mister J mighta killed her himself for calling the coppers on us. So in reality, I did her a favor by getting her into our gang, right?" Harley bit her lip as she thought a little more. She slowly put the doll back next to Sophie and sighed. Now it was as if she was talking to Sophie rather than the doll. "Well, come to think of it, I _did_ put her life in danger because of that, I guess. I mean, it _was_ my fault she got kidnapped and drugged and almost killed by Puppet Head's super toxins. So, maybe... _I'm_ the real toxic one after all."

Harley bit her lip again and brushed hair back from Sophie's face. What if the next time, they weren't so lucky? What if the next time, they didn't make it just in the nick of time? Scarecrow had seen that hurting Sophie was a surefire way to drive Harley insane with grief and causing mass chaos around them, which is exactly what he wanted. Suppose others had the same twisted idea? Harley knew every thug and criminal in all of Gotham wouldn't hesitate to try their hand at nabbing an adorable thing like Sophie and using her for ransom, or seeing her as an easy target to dispose of. Sophie wasn't weak by far, but she was absolutely not as experienced as the rest of them, so she was always going to be at a disadvantage.

Sophie was so tiny, after all, and although strong and tough, Harley knew Gotham's underbelly would definitely be a match for Sophie no matter how many gadgets she had. And it greatly worried her. Harley knew she couldn't always be there to watch out for Sophie and protect her when she needed, and Harley wouldn't be able to cope with another situation like the one they had, now. One thing was for sure, her heart and her mind were completely conflicted. In her heart she knew Sophie belonged with her. She was like the baby sister Harley never had. Possibly something even more than a sister. Maybe something more like, a daughter. Like her own flesh and blood with a bond that could never be severed. On the second hand, Harley knew Sophie didn't belong in a gang of criminals. It was insane, it was crazy, it was no life for a kid. Sophie deserved to live a life free of crime and free of the Joker and Harley Quinn. Harley's eyes stung painfully again and she blinked as hard as she could, hoping to suppress the tears. It didn't help. She wiped her eyes and slowly reached over with one hand and cupped Sophie's chin under it. Harley smiled a little as she noticed the soft, rosy color of Sophie's cheeks. It had been such a long time since they had looked that way.

Harley kissed Sophie's forehead, then sighed, putting her head down with her eyes covered with her free hand, almost as if she had a headache. "Oh, I just dunno what to do about this anymore, sweetie. My brain is just so tired. Sometimes I even feel like I'm forgetting my own name!"

"Har...ley?" said a soft, gentle, weak voice.

"Hey, it was only a joke, cutie. I didn't forget my n-" began Harley. Suddenly, she gasped, the last word in her train of thought lost in her throat. She jerked her head up as fast as she could. There, sitting in the bed, Sophie was wide awake, her blue eyes sparkling. Harley couldn't believe her eyes or her ears. Or her brain.

_"Harley?"_ whispered Sophie almost inaudibly. "Where are we?"

Harley, unfortunately, was unable to speak, which in turn confused Sophie, who was already pretty confused as it was. Harley's mind had completely shut down out of shock, and she just sat, gaping wide-eyed and open-mouthed at Sophie. It was almost like a dream. Like a cruel, cruel dream. Suddenly, in a flash, Harley snapped out of it.

"If this is another dream, I'm gonna shoot somebody. But there's only one way to find out!" Harley gently but fiercely pinched Sophie's cheek.

"_Ow_! Hey, that _hurt!"_ Sophie cried, angrily shoving Harley's hand away from her face.

"Quick, now you pinch _me_," Harley cried. "That's the only way I'll know if I'm dreaming or not!"

Sophie rubbed her now throbbing cheek. "How 'bout I _punch_ you instead?"

Harley shook her head. "No, punching isn't allowed. I just want-"

Before Harley could finish, Sophie reached out and pinched Harley's cheek, too, causing her to yelp in pain.

"There, are ya happy now? You're _not_ dreaming," Sophie said, leaning back onto her pillow.

Harley touched her cheek, which throbbed with the same pain as Sophie's. She had hoped being proven right would help the situation, but it only caused her to go into another bit of shock after realizing Sophie had indeed really woken up.

"Now, if you don't mind, could you _please_ tell me how the heck I got here?" Sophie asked, quietly. "I don't remember _anything! _It feels like a dream!"

Harley stared at Sophie again, her eyes wide. "_I'm_ not dreaming. _You're_ not dreaming. _I'm not dreaming."_ Harley's voice began to get a little louder and a little more excited. "You're awake. You're...okay. You're okay. You're okay, you're _okay_! It's not a dream, it's not a dream!"

Before Sophie could say another word, Harley threw open the door and raced out of the room into the hallway. "Hey, don't just stand there, everyone!" Harley yelled, startling everyone within a five-mile radius. "She woke up! Did you hear me? _SHE WOKE UP_! Get your butts in gear, people! She woke up, she woke up!"

As Harley regained her energy she was sure she had lost, Sophie sat in her room, unfortunately, still just as confused as ever.


	20. The Hardest Part is Letting Go

The doctors at Gotham General were completely and utterly stumped. Not a soul could figure out just how Sophie was able to fight off her seemingly incurable illness. They knew just how strong Scarecrow was, and with just how much toxin he had heartlessly injected her. They shuddered to imagine one of themselves being subjected to what Sophie had been administered...and living to tell about it. Harley, on the other hand, couldn't care less. She didn't care who, what, when, where, or why she overcame it. The fact was, her sweet Sophie was alive and getting better by the day.

The toxins had, among other things, affected Sophie's memory, and she struggled to remember just what had exactly happened between the time she was kidnapped and the time she was rescued. She was greatly frustrated because she had only a few bits and parts of memories, and she tried her best to piece them all together, like one huge, confusing puzzle.

One afternoon, Sophie used her fingers to carefully brush the frizzy green hair of the tiny Joker doll she'd been gifted. She was sitting sideways in her bed, while Harley was behind her, brushing her hair. Sophie had only just woken up from her coma days before, but she was still itching to know about her ordeal. Or at least to talk about it. She thought it would be easier for her mind to come back to its normal state if she could just let everything out. At times her mind was like looking into rain cloud - gray, foggy and confusing.

"Harley," she said quietly, gripping the doll tightly around its waist, "I..._kinda_ remember what happened to me when I was with Scarecrow. Do _you_ know some more stuff, too?"

Harley stopped brushing Sophie's hair for a second. She wasn't sure that Sophie hearing or talking about all the hairy details of her capture was the best thing for her at that moment. Or _ever._ "Oh, sweetie, I really don't think you should-"

"I do...I do remember _some_ things," Sophie interrupted, quietly. "I remember...he gave me so many...shots. He gave me lots and lots of_ ...shots._ Every single day, just shots and shots." Sophie slowly looked down at her horribly bruised and scarred arms. "I think...I slept a lot. Well, I _think_ I was sleeping. But my dreams were so scary and so _real!"_

Harley felt her eyes welt with tears as she listened to Sophie recount her nightmare in such detail. She stopped brushing her hair for good at that time.

"But, I couldn't...I couldn't scream because he taped my mouth shut. I couldn't run because he tied me up. He told me...I would never, _ever_ leave. He said I'd never see the light of day again, and that...I was gonna be his prisoner until I _died."_ Sophie's heart began to beat wildly in her chest as she spoke, remembering in even more detail the more she spoke about it. "So many shots. And they hurt so bad. I couldn't do _anything!_ I...I didn't know what was a dream and what wasn't. Everything seemed so _real._ All around me, there were monsters, and ghosts, and bugs. Even if I opened my eyes, they were still there! All the scary, horrible things were just_...real._ All I can remember is nightmares that lasted the _whole_ day!"

Harley was really at a loss for words as she listened to Sophie speak.

Sophie breathed heavily and wiped her eyes with the back of her hand, a few emotional tears forming in her eyes. "I've never seen anything so scary in my whole life," Sophie continued, her voice quivering a little. Her memory was growing stronger and more intense than ever. "He said to me, 'You sweet little clown, you're finally gonna get what you deserve - a painful, nightmarish death.' And it was all just 'cause we laughed at him, Harley!" She took a deep, gasping breath. "It was all just 'cause we _laughed_ at him!" Sophie finally turned around to face Harley, her blue eyes as wide as they could be as the tears started flowing from them. "Now, you know what? I...I never wanna laugh at _anything_ again for as long as I _live!"_

With that, she grabbed Harley around her waist and hugged her as tightly as she could, sobbing loud enough to alert the whole hospital. Harley did nothing but hug Sophie back, gently rubbing her head. To hear how candidly Sophie spoke about what had happened just broke her heart in more ways than anyone knew.

"Shhh, don't worry, sweetie," Harley said softly after a few moments, still hugging Sophie tightly. "It's all over, it's all over. If there's one thing for sure, you're safe, now. Nothing's gonna ever hurt you again. Not while _I'm_ around."

Sophie had been able to calm her crying down to a minimum few sniffles as she looked up at Harley. "A-and you're _always_ gonna be around, aren't you?" She asked innocently, hugging Harley once more.

Harley didn't speak a single word. Sophie's words felt like a dagger being shoved directly into her heart without any mercy.

Suddenly, Barbara swooped through the open window in a flourish of yellow and black. Since it was the first time she'd been back to "visit," since Sophie had woken up, Sophie was taken aback at suddenly seeing her enemy come barging in. Harley was nothing but grateful for the distraction, though, and welcomed it. Harley had been out of costume since Sophie's admittance to the hospital, and she had secretly hoped Barbara would also decide to casually "show-up," bans mask and cape, but she'd unfortunately had no such luck with the caped crusader compromising her identity.

"Bratgirl!" Sophie cried, her voice squeaking a little, a tiny, tiny smile emerging on her face.

Barbara couldn't help but smile. She would never admit it to Harley, but upon hearing that Sophie had recovered almost completely, she'd almost burst into tears herself. Barbara considered Tim as a kid brother, and she knew if anything were to ever happen to him, she'd be just as distraught as Harley had been with Sophie. Seeing a kid just about the same age as Tim being tortured so dangerously close to death was something close to her heart, and she was so absolutely relieved to see Sophie alive and well she could barely contain herself. But for the sake of her reputation, she knew she had to.

"Hey, kid," Barbara replied, unable to contain her happy grin. "I see you survived, eh?"

Sophie smiled a little brighter. Harley had told her about the Bat family helping in the rescue, and she was grateful to that...although Barbara was still their sworn enemy, so she didn't have to _like_ her.

"Yeah. And...thank you for the flowers. You can tell Mister B-Man and Robin, too."

Sophie was referring to the bouquet of flowers she'd received from the Bat Family, which had just been signed with three Bat Symbols. Next to it, was an even larger fresh bouquet of the most extravagant flowers anyone had ever seen, signed by the Joker. Sophie had been...afraid to smell them, in case of a sprinkling of Joker toxin, but her heart had about exploded when she got them. She didn't expect that it meant Joker actually cared about her, of course, but she'd take what she could get, anyway.

Barbara walked over to Sophie and gently patted her on the head. "I'll tell them, don't worry. I think they're just really, really glad you're okay. And how're you feeling, now?"

Harley felt her eyes fill with tears as she heard voices speak in the hallway outside of Sophie's room. She knew what was coming, and she felt weak. Luckily, Sophie was too distracted by Barbara to notice anything.

Sophie finally smiled warmly at her enemy. "Now, I feel so much better. 'Cause Harley's with me, I mean. I'm so lucky she's here!"

Barbara felt a lump form in the back of her throat, and she cleared it before she spoke. "Well, I...I'm glad to hear that."

She glanced out into the hallway for a moment, she and Harley shared a brief glance at each other. Neither one could speak a word, mainly because they both knew what was coming and didn't know _what_ to say.

Sophie couldn't resist anymore, and she grabbed Harley into a hug for a second time. "Oh, I just can't _wait_ 'til I get to come _home_ again! I miss Bud and Lou, I miss the brainless thugs, and I even miss Mister Joker! I hope they miss me, too! I can't wait to sleep in my _own_ bed, again, not some dreary old hospital bed!"

Harley's eyes spilled over just then, and Barbara excused herself into the hallway, closing the door behind her. She figured Harley needed some time alone with Sophie, and she felt it her duty to allow it.

Once Sophie realized Harley was crying, she gasped in panic. "Oh, Harley, what's wrong? Why're you crying? C'mon, don't cry, please!"

Harley wiped her eyes and took a deep breath. She couldn't lose her cool, now. "Yeah, I'm sorry, cutie. I've been doin' nothing but crying for the longest time. I should be laughing, I guess. I mean, I_ am_ a clown." Harley managed to smile a little. "And even if you_ swore_ you'd never laugh at anything _ever_ again," Harley began tickle-poking Sophie in her ribs as hard as she could, causing her to giggle uncontrollably, "I'm afraid you're just gonna _have_ to, 'cause _you're_ a clown, too", and I say you _will_!"

Sophie had no time to fight, as Harley was much too strong and much too fast for her. "I know, I _know_," she shrieked, her words being drowned out by her giggles, "I think I-"

"You think_ what_?" Harley grinned, pinning Sophie to the bed, tickling her harder, now with both hands. "I think...you give up?"

Y-yes, I give up!" Sophie cried through laughter, her voice high-pitched. "I was...joking!"

Harley had to laugh, too, but she didn't stop her torture. "Oh really? You were _joking_?"

Sophie was in tears again and she could barely breathe. "Y-yes! P-please!"

Harley smiled and finally stopped, once she'd made Sophie such a giggling mess she could barely stand it. "Well, since you asked _nicely_. I'm glad to see you still know how to laugh, though. I was worried a little." Harley giggled in spite of herself, knowing full well that Sophie didn't stand a chance. "Once a clown, _always_ a clown, right?"

Sophie giggled again, actually agreeing with Harley. _"Right."_ She said, throwing her arms around Harley again and squeezing her tightly. "I love you so much, Harley. I dunno what I'd do without you."

Harley glanced towards the door, now seeing the silhouettes of several people as they were obviously talking with Barbara. She gasped and gripped onto Sophie a little more tightly. She almost had a change of heart. Almost. "You know, sweetie..." She had to take a deep breath before continuing. "We... won't be together _all_ the time."

Sophie let go of Harley with a quiet little gasp. She looked into Harley's eyes for a moment, then giggled a little. "What're you talking about? Of _course_ we will! I'm gonna get out of the hospital and then we're gonna go home together, right?"

When Harley didn't respond, Sophie began to get a terrible, sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach. "I'm gonna get out of the hospital and then we're gonna go home,_ together_, right?" Sophie repeated, a sense of urgency in her voice.

Harley wiped her eyes, which had now begun to overflow with fresh tears. She didn't know what to say, because nothing was going to be easy, at that time. The door opened just then, and Barbara stepped in, followed by Dr. Leland.

Sophie had, by this time, become a scared, panicked mess, and her heart began to beat wildly in her chest.

"Hey, what's going on? Who's she?" Sophie demanded. _"She_ doesn't look like any of the normal doctors around here!"

Before anyone could respond, two women also stepped into the room behind Dr. Leland. They were dressed in sophisticated uniform suits, and at a second glance at the women, the color drained from Sophie's face, and she leaped out of her hospital bed.

_"No!"_ Sophie gasped, her voice becoming hysterical. "I _know_ where you're from! You...you _can't_ make me go back to the orphanage, I _won't!"_ She began crying hot, angry tears, and she gasped for breath. She glared at Barbara. "_You_ did this, didn't you, Bratgirl?" She angrily jabbed her finger at Barbara. "Of all the lousy, _stinky_ tricks!" She gripped Harley's hand as tightly as she could. "You'll tell 'em they can't take me, right, Harley?"

When Harley didn't speak, Sophie tugged on her hand a little harder, with a bigger sense of urgency. She didn't notice Harley wasn't speaking because she had tears running down her face, too.

_"C'mon,_ Harley! Tell Bratgirl I belong with _you._ Tell her I'm going with y_ou_ and nobody else _but_ you! I'm _not_ going back to the orphanage 'cause you _promised_ I never had to! So, tell her... tell her she was wrong trying to do this!"

Suddenly, to Barbara, Sophie wasn't just a mischievous costumed thief, but a frightened little girl who desperately wanted to know who was going to protect her...and who wasn't.

Harley continued to cry, and she finally wiped her eyes before she found her voice. "No, cutie, it wasn't Bratgirl who did it. It was _me. I_ told the orphanage workers to come for you."

Sophie gasped and dropped Harley's hand like it was on fire. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. "But...you promised I wouldn't have to ever go back! You...you _promised_!"

Harley took a deep breath before she spoke again. "Sweetie, I'm going back to Arkham Asylum, and _you're_ going back to the orphanage. That was the deal I made with Bratgirl and Birdbrain if they helped me find you. It was _my_ choice, okay? You deserve to have a real family away from all this life of crime."

Sophie's eyes spilled over with tears of sadness and tears of anger. "You can't make deals about _me!"_ She cried, balling up her fists. "_I_ have a say in this, too! I don't _need_ a family because I have _you, _Harley! I wanna be with _you_!" Sophie turned to the orphanage workers and Barbara. "Don't you guys get it? _She's_ my family, and I don't need another one!" Sophie looked up at Harley, her eyes as sad as a puppy who was sent to the backyard. She took Harley's hand into hers. "Don't you...don't you _want_ me to be with you, Harley?"

This was just like a real nightmare for Sophie, and she wondered if the Scarecrow still had toxins inside of her. She refused to believe that Harley didn't want to be with her. She just couldn't believe it. After all, they loved each other just like a real family. So surely this was all just a misunderstanding.

Harley sighed and peeled Sophie's hand off of her own, shaking her head. "No, I _don't_ want to be with you, Sophie. I don't want you, anymore. Not at _all."_

Even Barbara felt her heart break as she saw the devastated look in Sophie's eyes. Barbara compared it to the similar way Sophie's eyed had looked when she first arrived at the hospital. The sparkle was gone just upon hearing the cold remarks from Harley. Sophie was in sad shock, and she wiped her eyes. She took a step back from Harley, slowly.

"So," Harley said, taking a deep breath. "You're gonna go with these people back to the orphanage where you belong, and you'll get yourself a family, I'm sure of it. Stay away from the likes of us," Harley nodded towards Barbara. "'Cause we'll only get you into trouble. You'll be happier somewhere else."

Sophie burst into tears, unable to hold back anymore. She took a shakey breath before she could speak.

"You're...you're a liar. A _liar!"_ Sophie cried, angrily wiping her eyes. "You promised I wouldn't have to go back! You _promised_ me!"

Harley slowly reached out her hand towards Sophie, but Sophie jerked back. "You _promised_ you were gonna take care of me, you promised _never_ to leave me!" Sophie was crying harder, now. "And what did you do? You left me alone and Scarecrow tried to _kill_ me!"

Harley inhaled deeply and began to cry then, too. "Oh, sweetie-"

Dr. Leland cleared her throat, feeling it was the right time to get on with it. "Harley, it's time to go, now. She'll be alright, just let her be."

Harley knew Dr. Leland was right. She bent down to her knees, her pink dress flowing over her legs. "Come here, cutie." Harley held her hands out for a hug. "Can I at least have one more little hug before I go? You give the best ones in the world, and I'm really gonna miss them. I love you so _much."_

Sophie bawled her fists up in the air, angry tears pouring out of her eyes as she looked at Harley. She angrily shoved Harley backwards, knocking her off her feet with a _thud._ "I...I _hate_ you, Harley Quinn! I hate you, and I hope I _never_ see you again! Never ever _ever!"_

Harley's heart completely broke at that moment. It felt like she'd been kicked in the stomach by Batman as hard as he could. She couldn't breathe, even as she stood up. "But... but sweetie, I just-" She reached out towards Sophie again, desperate for something.

Sophie shoved her hand away in fury. "Did you hear what I _said?" _Sophie screamed. "I hate you! I _hate_ you!"

Sophie began sobbing loudly, and she fell to her knees. "She promised me...and she _lied!"_ Sophie wailed angrily through her hysterical cries. "She's a lair! A _liar!"_

Harley was too emotional to speak, and she didn't flinch as Dr. Leland led her out of the room. Her heart ached like it never had before, and the last thing she saw was Sophie sprawled on the floor, gasping and crying.  
>Harley sat in the backseat of the police car, dazed and confused, with Sophie's icy words still echoing over and over in her mind. "<em>I...I hate you, Harley Quinn! I hate you, and I hope I never see you again!<em>" Harley felt as if her heart was made of glass, and someone had come along and shattered it beyond repair.


	21. And this is the End of the Line

The Joker was annoyed. He was annoyed at the fact Harley had been thrown in Arkham Asylum again, and he was annoyed that he had to waste more time breaking her out. He was annoyed that his plans with the Scarecrow had fallen through, and he was annoyed at all the time they had lost. But mostly, he was annoyed at Harley's state of mind since he'd broken her out of her cell.

She still hadn't fully recovered, despite it being months and months since she'd seen or heard anything about Sophie. Barbara, out of the sheer goodness of her already Mother Teresa-like heart had inquired at the orphanage about Sophie's whereabouts and current state and had relayed the information back to Harley while she had been in Arkham.

Harley knew Sophie had been privately adopted by a very, very well to do family...one who had country houses in completely different countries. Despite Sophie living incredibly far from Gotham City, the orphanage hadn't released the names of the family, even to Barbara, and the family had asked for no one in Gotham to contact Sophie again, in order for her to maintain and keep her healthy lifestyle she had already eased into. Harley's heart couldn't help but still feel pain as she imagined her horrible, terrible dream becoming a reality. Sophie probably lived a huge mansion somewhere, with her own pink convertible having already been bought by her new, shiny father. She envisioned Sophie attending a snooty private school and being surrounded by rich, snobby, kids, and she almost gagged.

Deep down inside of her, Harley wished for just ten seconds of one of Sophie's hugs, or to hear her unmistakable giggle. She missed Sophie terribly, and the pain seemed like it would never go away.

One evening, Harley was moping around the hideout as she had been doing since the Joker freed her. Suddenly the door burst open, and the Joker appeared, dragging something next to him. Harley gasped and covered her mouth with her hand. She couldn't believe what she saw before her. "Puddin'? What's _this?"_

The Joker thrust the tiny little blonde girl, who couldn't have been more than four years old, to Harley. "You miss that other little brat, so I found you another one!"

The little girl looked at Harley, her large brown eyes shining. "Two clowns!" She said.

Harley sighed, heavily. "I don't _want_ this kid, Puddin'. Take it back."

The Joker glared at Harley. "_I_ won't take it back, you dim-wit. If you don't want it, _you_ drop it off somewhere, or I'll throw it into the bay! I don't have time for this!"

Harley sighed again, and took the kid by her overall straps, deciding to take her to the nearest house, ring the bell, and leave her there. Surely someone would call the police and do something with her. Harley was relieved for the distraction, and after she had completed her task, she decided to get a little fresh air. She began a nice little stroll through Gotham City. As she was walking, she happened to notice a swift figure swoop by her head and land directly in front of her. It was Barbara, who looked quite distressed.

Harley sighed. "Back off, Bratgirl. I'm not doing anything wrong, yet."

Barbara took a deep breath. "I don't care about that, Harley. I've been looking all over Gotham City for you for three days."

Harley smiled a little. "Oh? Do I have some kind of outstanding warrant or something?" She chuckled a little, but cut herself short when she realized Barbara was not smiling at all.

"Harley, it's about Sophie," Barbara said, after taking a huge breath.

Harley gasped and clutched her chest. "What about her?"

Harley saw Barbara's face change and her eyes begin to water, and it scared Harley to death.

"There was...an accident. She and her family were on a river boat, and there was a little explosion...and the boat sank, but...the river was full of crocodiles, and..." Barbara began.

Harley felt her heart stop beating for what seemed like a full minute. She gasped before she could speak. "And she survived." It was almost like a statement instead of a question.

Barbara blinked, hard. "There _were_ no survivors, Harley. She's...dead. Sophie's _dead."_

* * *

><p>Harley felt her life start to spiral out of control in the next few weeks after hearing of Sophie's death. The sun seemed to shine, rain continued to fall, wind still blew, but Harley couldn't feel any of it. When she and the Joker would rob banks and other various jobs, she went through the motions, but she wasn't the same person she used to be. There was no way she could be. When she would dream at night, she always dreamed of Sophie, alive and well, giggling and laughing in her bright and cheery costume, running and hugging Harley every time they met. The most cruel parts of her dreams were the vividness of them. When Harley would start awake, she swore she could still feel Sophie's sweet, warm embrace around her waist, and most of the time, she would burst into quiet, heart wrenching sobs when she realized it was just a dream, and that Sophie was never, ever coming back. That in itself was pure torture, and she could barely take it.<p>

One evening, Harley sat in the middle of the cold floor, gently rubbing Bud and Lou's heads. They knew their mother wasn't feeling well, and they hated it. The Joker sat at a table, vigorously writing and scratching on a large piece of paper, trying to come up with his next big plan. The fire inside of Harley was dead, it died with Sophie, and she tried as hard as she could to at least pretend to be normal in front of her puddin, because she knew it would only anger him more if she would constantly mope around the hideout. That evening though, she was feeling extra upset. She had taken an afternoon nap and was again visited by an awful dream where Sophie had entered the hideout just as she had used to, then as Harley watched her, she slowly disappeared into thin air.

Harley was silent as the Joker worked. She just pet her babies in a trance. She barely noticed when the door to the hideout opened, but within a flash, Bud and Lou were on their feet. No stranger dare enter their house as long as they had anything to say about it. They both growled and whined, making a rush to the front door. In half a second, they bounded on whatever it was that had opened the door.

Harley stood up, still in a daze. She started to walk over to the door, thinking the wind must have opened the door and a stray cat or something had wandered in. "What are you two clowns _doing?_"

As Harley walked closer, she suddenly heard loud, hysterical high-pitched giggles. "Stop it, you guys! That tickles! Stop it already! Get _off_ me!"

Harley saw nothing but Bud and Lou "attacking" something, and she was sure she was dreaming. "Knock it off you two. You're gonna piss off Mister J."

"Harley!" cried the voice again, still laughing uncontrollably. "Make them stop, I can't breathe! Make them _stop!"_

Harley ignored the voice as if it wasn't there. "Hey, babies! Enough! Come here!"

Upon hearing Harley's stern voice, the two furry animals stopped their attack and trotted away. Harley blinked her eyes a few times when she looked down at the ground. Her eyes must have been deceiving her because there was no way she could possibly have been seeing what she was seeing. The tiny figure which had been pinned to the ground by the two ferocious beasts wiped her face with her sleeve and stood up with another giggle.

Harley just gaped at her. "S-sophie?" She stammered, gulping loudly. After all the times she had been fooled before by crazy hallucinations, she didn't believe what she was seeing, and figured she would wake up any second.

"What's all this-" began the Joker in an angry rage. He stopped short though, when he noticed who was standing in their presence. _"You?_ But, you're supposed to be _dead_!"

Sophie giggled loudly. "Sorry to disappoint you, Mister Joker. But, I'm _not."_

Harley was still dumbfounded. "B-but, the boat...the accident...there was an explosion..._ how_ did...?"

Sophie just giggled loudly.

"You're not real. You're _not_ real," Harley said with a heavy sigh. "I _know_ you're not real."

Sophie smiled a little. "I _am."_

Harley bit her lip, nervously, and slowly reached out towards Sophie, half expecting her to fade into nothing like all the times before. She closed her eyes for a moment, until she felt her hand touch something. When she opened her eyes, she found her hand had rested on Sophie's cheek. Sophie smiled and put her hand on top of Harley's, and Harley felt the unmistakable warmth that resignated with each one of Sophie's touches.

"Oh my _God,"_ Harley whispered, her eyes wide with astonishment.

"I _told_ ya," Sophie said, letting a tiny giggle escape as she saw Harley's expression.

Suddenly, Harley burst into hysterical tears and she grabbed Sophie as hard as she could into the tightest hug she had ever given in her entire life. She had no words to describe her feelings at that moment. She just held Sophie in a bone-crunching hug until her arms ached. Sophie was laughing the whole time, especially after Harley took Sophie's face and kissed her everywhere at least three times. Harley was just in complete and utter shock.

The Joker, on the other hand, fumed beside them. "Now _wait_ just a minute, here!" He bellowed, startling both girls.

Harley stopped her ambush and instead just stood with her arms wrapped around Sophie. "Oh, Puddin', she's home, she's alive and she's _home!"_ The sunshine had finally come back to Harley, and she knew the light could never go out, now.

The Joker clenched his fists tightly and glared at the two girls. _"Oh_ no, you don't, kiddo. You can't just disappear for so long, _die,_ and then suddenly come waltzing back in here completely empty-handed! _Nu-uh,_ it doesn't work like that. You gotta _earn_ your keep, dollface. That's how it works around here!"

Harley's face fell. "But, but _Puddin'!"_

"Don't 'But Puddin' me!" The Joker cried, angrily. "Who the _hell_ does she think she is?"

Sophie smiled a little, completely unphased by his sudden outburst. She removed Harley's hand on her shoulders without a word. Her smile faded, and she removed her backpack and held it in her hands. Looking square at the Joker, she said, "I'm Sophie Gabriela Pieska, formally known as Miss Sophie Thurston, who unfortunately died alongside her loving and doting parents in a tragic and unforeseeable boating accident." She blinked her eyes, never taking her gaze off of him. "I'm otherwise and preferably known as Sweetie Pie. I'm the newest, official member of the Joker's Gang. And _this_," she said, unzipping her backpack. "Belongs to _you."_

With one quick flourish, she dumped the contents of her bag onto the floor at the Joker's feet. Diamonds, rubies, jewels, necklaces, bracelets, rings, pearls, and cash collected into a nice, neat pile. Harley was speechless, and she gasped in pure shock and awe. The Joker bent down, reaching his hand into the pile of precious and obviously highly expensive items. He didn't speak, he just relished in what he saw before him as he let the objects fall between his gloved fingers.

"After all," Sophie continued, a small, evil smile creeping onto her face as she reached inside her back pocket and pulled out two sticks of dynamite and a pack of matches. "You _really_ didn't think I'd come away from a job empty handed, did ya?"

* * *

><p><strong>So, that's it! What did you guys think? Questions? Comments? Issues? Dramas? :) I really, really want to know what you guys think, so if you like, you can let me know in the reviews, and I'd be more than happy to read your thoughts! :)))))<strong>

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*** And stay tuned for _**PART**_** TWO**, which is coming ;)


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